


Born of the same earth

by Arcah



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: AbitNaive!Byleth, Almyra, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Because come on they deserve it, Drama, Eventual Happy Ending, Evil Adrestian Empire, Friendship, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Platonic Soulmates, Spoilers, Torture, Video Game Mechanics, War, Witty!Claude, Young!Byleth, Young!Claude, fe3h - Freeform, fear the deer, hardship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2020-09-01 19:03:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 76,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20262997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arcah/pseuds/Arcah
Summary: Byleth follows his mercenary father into Almyra, where he happens upon a young Claude.Years later they reunite at Garreg Mach monastery, where the friendship that started in their youth gets tested.This is a story centering on the friendship binding Byleth and Claude as told from Byleth's POV.Complete!I am writing more! It will be updated on a part by part basis! Part 3 now Online!





	1. Part 1 - Chapter 1

** Almyra - Imperial Year 1174 **

_5th of the Wyvern Moon, clear skies._

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_Endless plains covered in thirsty vegetation. Seven days have passed since we cleared Fódlan's locket, father says we should arrive soon. The triad is at our right at dawn, the guiding star to our backs. Morale is mixed. Writing feels strange, still. I see no purpose in it, but I will do as asked._

__

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_Looks to be another night of sleeping under the stars. They are different from those of Fódlan. The guiding star stands lower whilst the trinity in the west rises almost to the zenith of the sky._

Squinting he concluded that what meager light reached his new leather-bound diary, wasn't sufficient enough to write with and closed the book after fanning the ink dry. All around him campfire's lit up the star-filled sky above him, men were talking in low, muted voices but he did not feel inclined to join them. Instead, he cast his gaze around and forced himself to his sore feet, wrapping his diary up he stuffed it back in the saddlebags of his fathers' tack before setting out to the edge of the camp.

"Hey kid, don't stray too far." One of his father's mercenaries, who had rolled an early guard duty informed him. "This is Almyra, you never know what manner of foreign beasts are out to score a meal."

Quietly he evaluated how to respond to the muscled and worn mercenary, finally resolving on a nod. Stepping into the ink-black prairie, as no moon had risen yet, he caught the wisps of a grumbled complaint. Casting his gaze downward he walked on, wondering what to do to make that clenched feeling in his chest disappear.

This was all new to him. People, that many and in so many different circumstances. Combat, traveling, bartering and resting. Words did not come naturally to him, he had to force his lips to part and sound to be made, but if possible he would just nod. His father stopped minding it, but the same could not be said for the rest of the group he traveled with. Grumbled complaints and the hushed calling of names did not escape his ear.

A few days ago, when they passed Fódlans Locket he had written in his diary for the first time. Cautiously and uncertain of what to write, his first entry stared back at him. He hoped his penmanship would improve as he could hardly make out what he had written.

Alone on the plain, with the camp a good fifty meters behind him he sat down in the grass. Well in sight of the camp's sentries, but far away enough to watch a web appear in between the stars. He let himself fall back in the tall grass that filled these parched plains, slowly letting his eyes get used to the low light. The tension seeped from his body and into the soil below.  
This trip had been anything but easy on him. The first leg of the journey after his dad collected him had been gruesome to his untrained legs, yet he had experienced so much. Compared to his many months of sleep and sparse moments of waking this whole journey was intense. The passage through Fódlan's throat had been the sum-mum of it all. The beautiful sights of the snow-capped mountains, paired with the burning pain in his legs from marching at a sufficient speed to avoid the Goneril forces manning the fortress above made for long-lasting memories.

Staring at the stars he did a check-up on himself, tensing one muscle after the other to check for the extent of the damage of today's mercifully flat march, if it weren't for the dry hot air it'd actually be easy. His legs hummed with the wear and tear of yet unhealed tendons and muscles, but they would carry him further he concluded. To wherever his father was taking him.

__

_ 6th of the Wyvern moon, distant thunder. _

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_Spotted the settlement halfway through the evening, arrived two hours later. Horses are exhausted. Byleth's hand hovered over the paper as an ink drop fell from his quill. It was hard to keep his eyes open. 'Small town, farming, and cattle oriented. Two inn's, both rented out completely. We sleep in an actual bed tonight._

"Starting to look better." The gruff voice of his father came from behind his right shoulder. Slowly Byleth moved and met his father's eyes, trying to gauge the man behind them. "Find some sleep. Tomorrow will be early."  
He gave a solemn nod before frowning, then pursing his lips before forcing himself to speak.  
"Yes, father."  
It jarred the older mercenary, causing him to stare at his son. It caused Byleth to cramp up just minutely, his eyes ever calm however made it hard for anyone to notice his growing discomfort. "Son-.." Jeralt started but fell short of words much akin to his only child. Silence ruled between them, causing the younger to turn back to his diary when no further words came to fill it. A sigh followed before the mercenary headed out. Then, only then the youngster's eyes squinted and cramped shut for just a moment.  
Doubtful, his quill hung above the parchment of his diary, unsure of how to voice what he felt. _Speaking is hard. Words still won't come. I don't believe this is working._

The morning greeted him through a crease in the wooden shutters darkening the room, a single beam of sunlight pierced through the gap and onto Byleth's face. Sleep did not leave him rested much, especially not if he dreamed of her again. Worn he sat up, giving himself a moment to let the blood reach his head. The bunk below, belonging to his father, was empty already. Slowly he rubbed a fist into his eye before hopping down and opening the shutters to let the sunlight pour in.

Almyran sunlight was warmer, somehow. For just a moment he basked in it, eyes closed, letting his body warm-up. Outside, life had already started without him. Children ran errands and men and women gathered for their weekly harvest market. The wood under his fingers felt warm, despite being old and weathered. A cat ran down the roof and jumped onto the window still, right next to him. Gently he ran his fingers over the feline's spine, which was warmer than even the wood of the window still his other hand rested on. A small smile crept over his lips as the feline arched it's back upward into his touch.

Suddenly the cat jumped off and down to street-level to go and beg for a meal from the local butcher, leaving the youth in shock. His face frozen in a smile, he reached up and felt -the corners of his lips had lifted- ever so slightly.

"Where are your thoughts kid?" Jeralt's voice shook him from his ruminations as the men had assembled around him. ''What did I tell you?" He scolded gently. With downcast eyes, he gave a solemn nod. "Forgive me." The words fell artificially out of his mouth.

'' Bloody hell," One of the other mercenaries spoke under his breath as more mumbling piked up. Byleth looked about with tension in his chest, causing a wave of silence to follow his stare. Finally, Jeralt had enough of the awkward setting, shook his head and announced their next job.

"So there you are." Jeralt found him about an hour after sun-down, accompanying the horses and the host of cats this settlement had. Byleth did not find it in himself to look up.

"They do not want me here." He stated, sounding awfully mature with such a young voice.  
Jeralt sighed as he scratched his neck. "It's not that easy kid- they just need a bit of time to get used to things. As do you, I imagine." The elder mercenary spoke.

Byleth shook his head. "Speaking is hard. Even if I try they do not approve."

Another sigh followed before the elder mercenary dug into a pocket and fed his steed a snack. "I know it is, but you have to try. Whether they approve or not."  
"Why?" Now Byleth looked up from the stray that had made its home in his lap.

"Because I won't be around forever." The mercenary clarified. "And you cannot sleep forever, too. I know I haven't.. exactly-.. been an ideal father." The man spoke with a grizzly voice, followed by silence. A silence which quickly grew long as neither immediately spoke.

''It's-.." Jeralt started but found his words stuck in his throat with his son's gaze fixed onto him.

"Just try. Keep trying and keep writing into that diary I gave you. You will get the hang of it."  
Absent eyes returned to the feline on his lap as his head made an easily missable bob in agreement.

"Tomorrow we depart so make sure to get a meal and eight hours in." Jeralt tossed him a coin piece, which he caught with the flick of his hand.

__

_7th of Wyvern moon, Windy._

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_Our mission is the rescue and retrieval of a stolen child, belonging to the village elder. They will pay us a part of their harvest. The plains of Almyra fear raiders from the southern mountain regions. Almost no protection from the khans exists for villages this far south. Far from the eastern coast and near the Morfis border only lawlessness rules. Or so my father says._

_He wants me to try more. To speak. I don't know if I can, I will try._  
A single black cat paw print decorated the bottom of the page.

The march was long and increasingly difficult as grassy plains gave way to rocks and sand under an ever-burning sun. Salt caked the earth not long after that and it clung to the party's boots, making the trek even harder. By the time his father called for a break Byleth had wondered whether he could take another step, let alone fight.

Oddly enough, for having slept for so many years before his father had picked him up, he had learned the blade faster than anyone had expected, even he himself. Now only if his legs would do him the same courtesy. Instead, his calves complained loudly under the strain, and his head felt dizzy and light.

"Drink, but not too much." Jeralt tossed him a field bottle. It was an order Byleth found himself happy to follow, even with lukewarm water. He wiped his lips before trying to orient himself in the dry hot plains. He spotted his father talking with someone not belonging to the mercenary group and pushed his loudly complaining legs to carry him a few steps further.

''-just a few miles beyond there is the mountain range separating Morfis from Almyra, with some luck we will catch them before they cross the mountains and reach the caravansary. If they make it there before us then there is a big chance we will arrive too late. There is no following those Morfis caravans through their endless desert.'' The man, a guide Byleth guessed, explained. That explained the murderous tempo they had kept. He knew very little about anything, let alone near-mythical countries like Morfis the men kept talking about. Tales of fearsome sorcerers and warlocks capable of miracles and atrocities alike.

Rubbing his calves he knew he was going to be in for a long and tiring walk still, he felt his eyelids droop as his body began to relax.

War filled his mind, bloodshed of an unseen scale, detailed into the most gruesome detail as the earth tasted innocent blood. Thousands always died, nothing ever changed. The same sounds, smells, and sights. This dream never changed. Feint faces drawn in desperate scowls, pleas for mercy and prayers muttered in vain. That dream always returned. It ended with sleepily spoken words from a maiden with green hair. It didn't get so far this time. A rough shake tore away the visages of war and the vestiges of sleep.

"Up and at it Fódlani rat." A gritty foreign voice spoke. Only he wasn't the one who stood up. A boy with rough tousled black hair and vivid green eyes got up and sprinted off before a loud clack resonated everywhere around him. Warily Byleth looked around, recognizing the bland features of what had to be a cave?-

"Byleth!" Startled he gasped and looked up, the shells of his dream falling from his eyes. His father did not look amused. "We need to keep moving." He looked ahead. Byleth followed his gaze to notice everyone back on their feet, headed for the mountain range on the horizon.

Shaken he got up and followed in the footsteps of his father, wondering just what it was he had dreamed.

Exhausted he grasped for his father's hand in order not to fall. The salt flats clung to his feet, slowing his step. At least he wasn't the only one. His father looked to him when he caught his hand, but no judgment followed. Instead, he slowed his step and grasped him tightly, bearing some of his weight.

"We are almost there." The elder mercenary looked up to the looming mountains above. The sun was near setting, but no camp was prepared, nor resting place was chosen. Instead, Byleth noticed, everyone was plowing on. Looking just as exhausted as he felt.

"You did well." His father's praise washed over him, surprising him. It caused the elder mercenary to look up with a smile. "We will wait here until the sun sets, to watch for fires in the mountain caves."  
"Caves.."  
"Yes." Jeralt looked surprised a moment but carried on speaking. "These mountains have no easy passes, but you can cross into Morfis through a system of naturally formed tunnels. Or so our guide has informed me."

It didn't take more than half an hour for one of the sniper's to spot a smoke trail against the rapidly falling night sky. Biting his lip he forced his legs back to walking, the pain stopped after a little while, but it'd be back with a vengeance, he knew. The climb was hard, mostly because of how tired everyone was. The stony slope up to the first cave was slippery, causing rocks to slide down and hit him in the face. Shaking his head he forced himself to climb whilst keeping one eye shut until he could remove whatever had gotten stuck in it. By the time he reached where his father gathered everyone, his arms were hurting and his eye teared and was red. He had washed it out with what little water he had left, but it still felt bruised.

The trek through the caves was easier, most of all because the temperature inside the mountain was cooler, and water flowed in some places, welling up from the ground. Many, including he himself took the chance to wash their faces and refill their bottles before the fight would break out. Jeralt had them watch their step and noise whilst they ascended the last few passages to reach the raiders.

The cacophony signaling the start of the battle broke loose well before Byleth was even close. Screams assaulted his ears from all directions as blood struck the earth, drenching the age-old mountain.

By the time he reached, as no doubt had been his father's plan, most of the raiders had fallen and a host of sobbing children and shaking young adults had been safely isolated from the remaining melee.  
"Slavers." Jeralt spat as Byleth finally managed to arrive in the now bloodstained chamber. "Scum of the earth." Another commented whilst the group's healer saw to a host of shaken children and youths.

Taken by curiosity Byleth wandered closer as Jeralt issued orders for his men to search the neighboring caves to wipe out any stragglers. His eyes met those of the rescued children. "I guess they raided the neighboring villages as well." One of the assistant healers, who doubled as an archer, spoke.

To Byleth, the people from Almyra were widely varied in color and personality, much like what little he had seen from Fódlan. Their skin tone was generally darker, as was their eye color. Dark as the night sky, as gold as jewels and deep brown also occurred. But green? He wondered where he had seen that before. He knew he had, somewhere.

None of them bore green eyes, however, and a relayed call through the caves indicated Jeralt wished to see him, so he left the matter at that and set out.

Jeralt awaited him at a rather large passage that originated from a spring which saw clear traces of human use. "This is the main passage to the caravansary on the other side of the mountains, in Morfis." Jeralt explained. "We have our target but we will be staying here for the night. This place has a lot of entrances and exits. I have Melis scouting at the end of this passage, I want you to guard this end. I will have someone come in a few hours to switch with you, understood?" He asked. Byleth read the tiredness from his voice, which sounded a bit clipped. He gave a nod. "Of course."

"Good kid."  
The elder mercenary squeezed his shoulder and moved off, leaving Byleth next to the spring with nothing but the light of the torch the mercenary had given him.

He really had intended to stay awake. Even had his diary out to try and keep his thoughts away from sleep. But it was a harder struggle than the march to this place had been. His fingers shuddered and his quill left a doodling line where letters should have been to signify the date and weather. Lapsing into consciousness and sleep he struggled. Until those green eyes stared at him again. With a start he shot up, panting hard.

Yet all was quiet. Worriedly he stared around him, knowing the punishment of being caught sleeping on guard duty. Yet it seemed no one had noticed. No sound, nothing but the distant whispering of the wind. As the adrenaline wore off he listened to the wind's ceaseless whispering. Oddly enough they even started making sense, desperate to stay awake he tried to focus on hearing what it said.

Only to be surprised by actually succeeding.

"- no one will miss you."  
"They will be gone by the next morning-"  
"They aren't here for you, you little Fódlani bastard. You really thought yourself that loved that someone would send a team of mercenaries after you? That's just precious."

The wind pushed the soft whispered harsh words to his ears. Sentences and parts missing as the caves send the wind clashing in on itself. 'Fódlani-' The word rang familiar. His sleep abating he sat up properly and tensed himself to listen, picking up on a muted struggle and gasping.

His heart surged as his mind finally connected the dots and he got himself up. His diary fell to the dusty ground, still open as he snatched his sword and silently tapped the fellow mercenary who had fallen asleep beside him on her shoulder before wandering off.  
"Whut?" The elder woman woke up, he turned around and placed a finger before his lips much like his father used to do before turning around the corner and edging himself past the little ledge above the well.

The wind carried far in caves as vast as these, the climb was an arduous one. The first rays of sunshine peeked through as he forced his still small body through a crevice before hearing that voice speak again, still unaware of his presence.  
"See boy? Off they go. At least you will net me a neat little sum that will make you worth the trouble you have been. Oh, I think you will like Morfis, at least I know Morfis will quite like having you. " The sounds of struggle now more than evident Byleth pushed himself to get there. His arms and legs burned by the time he scaled down an open three-meter drop, landing with a gasp. "What the?"  
Byleth steeled himself and drew his blade, forcing his legs into a run. The cavern bent into an L shape and featured many little gaps to the outside, casting the cavern in orange light. Byleth tore around the corner to find a man trying to subdue someone who couldn't be older than he was before looking up in surprise and letting down his guard. Even before Byleth could cover the distance to him the man let out a scream and jerked back his hand from the fiercely struggling boy. Hastily he tried to pull his sword, but instead, he got forced to relinquish his grip on the boy as Byleth charged and swept his blade up in a massive upward swing. The man hastily lept backward, throwing the boy to the ground. Stepping forward Byleth moved in front of the boy before charging once again and steel bit steel. 

Sparks flew as the exchange lengthened by every blocked swipe. His father's council streamed through his head as his hands moved before he could even as much react. It made him great at deflecting blows, but then the man properly parried him and threw his body mass in the fight, causing Byleth to stagger and step backward. For all his quick and unexplained reflexes, he by far had not the strength to match it. Being forced to sidestep he charged again, hoping his speed would be the decisive factor, but the slaver was by no means slow and caught his blade. A foreign, young voice yelled something in a strange language before a shadow shot past him and a cloud of dust blossomed in both fighter's faces. Snapping his eyelids shut on pure instincts he charged forwards blindly until he felt the soft squelch of a blade piercing a body. A guttural gasp followed by a scream resonated through the cavern before the man finally sagged to the floor. 

Only now did he hear the distant screams bearing his name, echoing through the cave and the rapid-paced breath of someone right next to him. Releasing his grip on his blade he rubbed his eyes clear and stared through his tears to find the slaver's gut pierced with his sword and a green-eyed boy beside him. Shocked and at a loss of words he looked to the boy, who really wasn't much younger than he was. Shell shocked, but determined eyes finally let go of the corpse and gazed back to him.  
He spoke in a foreign tongue, one spoken here in Almyra according to his father, but he did not understand a word. Upon seeing that the boy spoke again, now in a more familiar tongue. 

"I told you to close your eyes."  
Silently Byleth stared back at the kid before looking down. "Sorry, I did not understand."

Surprised the boy stared ahead. "You speak Fódlani.."

Byleth gave a soft nod. "Are you hurt?"

"BYLETH!" A yell permeated the caves from much closer now, startling both. "I am here father!" Byleth yelled back and after thinking a moment he added; "I am alright!"

The equally angry and worried visage of Jeralt appeared from where Byleth had entered. "Damn it, kid, you scared me." The man cursed before scanning the surroundings. "What happened?"

"I heard someone.." Byleth spoke, uncertain of how to proceed. "Slaver, I think. I found another." Byleth looked to the young, now defiantly eyed boy.

Jareth sighed and scratched behind his neck. "You should have said, something kid." He frowned.

"I did." Byleth protested but Jeralt shook his head. "Later, the group is waiting. Bring the kid, our guide can translate for him."

"I speak Fódlani well enough." The boy with green eyes spoke on a defiant and wary tone.  
Jeralt stopped in his tracks.

"You speak the tongue of Fódlan?" He asked, almost incredulous. Again he shook his head. "My captor was Fódlani too." The boy pointed to the now corpse. "What do you people want with me?" He accused, though there was something else mixed in his tone of voice. Jeralt did not let it bring him off his stride, however.

"My money for saving a few village brats. I am no slaver." Jeralt explained. "We are departing now, stay, or come along. It's your choice."

Jeralt then left, leaving Byleth feeling oddly torn. Lost for a moment, he finally decided and turned back to the boy who stared at the body of his captor.

Unable to find words he simply rose and held out his hand towards him. It caught his eye, Byleth saw it filled with conflict and sadness, with weariness beyond anything he had ever seen and it caused his chest to cramp.

"My name is Byleth." He stared at his extended hand before looking up. "What is yours?" Forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes the green-eyed boy returned the gesture and clasped his hand. "My name's Claude."


	2. Part 1 - Chapter 2

_11th of the Wyvern moon, overcast sky_

_I cannot stop shaking.  
Am exhausted, fee- ' _

With a soft thud his quill fell from his hand, leaving an ink splotch to blot out his freshly written words. His hands would not keep still, no matter how hard he tried. 

"This just won't do at all." A familiar female voice scolded him. "Look at your writing, who can read that?" The green-haired woman of his dreams floated before him with a scowl on her face. Yet in those green eyes, Byleth saw compassion.  
"I know these days have been hard on you, but you have got to pull yourself together." She crossed her arms as her brows rose up in a worried expression. "If you do not then that may very well mean our end."  
Byleth shook his head and grimaced, his head pounded with pain when she spoke.  
"You have to grow stronger.. or I won't ever be able to properly speak to you." She spoke worried before closing her eyes and vanishing. The pain abated not much longer, but it served him by making him aware just how tired he was.  
Just how much everything hurt.  
Just how terribly wrong everything had gone.  
Focusing he tried to take note of his surroundings, finding himself in a rickety structure that likely served as a barn, surrounded by not only the stink of animals but that of men, too.  
One by one the memories revisited his mind's eye.  
The sandstorm that had struck and separated him as well as many others from the main body of soldiers and his father.  
Wandering lost on the salt flats, before finally finding the only town in the neighborhood by courtesy of it being lit on fire.  
By the time he and the others had finally reached there was nothing left that could be saved. 

And now here he was, in a stable on the edge of the burnt-out town, seeking shelter from Almyra's cold nights. He was perched and ravenous by now, even after finishing what little food and water he had on him. With a dry mouth and cracked lips, he finally forced himself up and stuffed his diary in between his clothes. Pushing the shed door open a waft of burnt meat and ash greeted him, filling his nose and clinging to the back of his throat. He cast his eyes around to find nothing but glowing embers and husks of things that had once been human.  
Wary he stalked through the remains of the town, finding nothing but pale reminders of the fire that had raged before. Kneeling down he sifted with his hand through the ashes of what had been the inn he had slept in just a few days prior.  
"Look who survived. Look!" The words were wrapped by the shrill voice speaking them, dripping something that definitely was no relief. One of his father's mercenaries limped closer. "Of all of us, why do YOU get to survive? Look at his face, not even a shred of emotion!" The mercenary yelled to his sniper with a manic look in his eyes.  
"That cannot be natural, no." He stumbled closer as Byleth felt himself freeze, his chest clenching a moment. "Just what are you? Why did you bring this misfortune and death over us?" The mercenary asked as the other joined by his side. "Ashen demon!"  
Before Byleth could properly register what happened his instincts caused him to lean back, avoiding a razor fast strike of the mercenary's blow, which in failing to land caused him to fall.  
Byleth fell backward and into a heap of ash. It blotted out the light and the sky, filling his nose and mouth. But he did not cough.  
"Look at it-" The second mercenary coughed. "-it doesn't breathe-!"  
Forced by instinct Byleth tried to get up but dropped the moment he heard an arrow fly.  
Blinded by the ash he heard them fall, one arrow for each man. With his eyes watering he shielded his gaze from the fierce Almyran sun.  
Out from the ash a hand appeared before him. Weathered and rough, he took it and was promptly pulled to his knees.  
"You okay?" A familiar voice belonging to a yet faceless shadow asked.  
Nodding he finally forced his airway clear with a series of coughs before rubbing his eyes. Only then he remembered nods didn't exactly amount to an answer in these conditions and followed up with a curt "Yes."  
"Thank you.." He finally looked up through reddened eyes to find the boy of before.  
"Claude-.."  
"Yeah, just figured that'd set us even." The other spoke with a levity Byleth failed to grasp. "Do you know what happened?" The Fodlani speaking Almyran asked.  
"No." He finally found his composure and followed Claude through the ash cloud. "I was separated from the main group during the sandstorm. Then.. I saw the fire." He explained.  
"Yeah, pretty much the same story here." The other wrung his hands behind his neck. "Either way, staying here won't do any of us good. We'll die of dehydration before the week ends if we do."  
Byleth closed his eyes and tried to remember, falling silent. Under Claude's scrutiny he finally spoke.  
"Unless we know where to travel to, we may as well die of thirst." Byleth spoke, surprising himself with actually finding a full-sentence worth of words. "Almyra is vast, yeah." Claude crossed his arms. "You still remember the way you came?" He tried, to which Byleth silently began fetching his diary.  
"I wrote it down." He began flipping through the pages and now Claude was hanging over his shoulder to read along.  
"Here. The 5th of the Wyvern moon"

Claude read the words aloud on a slightly slowed pace.  
"Triad at our right, guiding star at the back, great. Where did you travel from?" The green-eyed Almyran asked.  
"The region capital, Triste."  
"Damn.. that's definitely two-day journeys, on an empty stomach at that."  
"We have to try." Byleth spoke solemnly. "Waiting here to die is no valid alternative."

Claude stared at him for a moment then, before finally giving an assenting nod."Right you are. I have stuff that needs doing, can't afford to die just yet." He gave a grin which bore a bit more semblance to a real one.  
"Were in this together then, yeah? Partners?" Claude asked.  
Calm and growing more certain by the minute Byleth gave a nod. "Yes."

That coaxed a laugh out of the Almyran. "So stiff, you Fodlani don't loosen up much do you?"  
To that Byleth had no idea how to respond, ending up looking a bit lost.  
"We'll get through this." Claude grinned. "Come, let's scavenge what we can and get out of here before anyone else beats us to the idea."

Tucked up in Byleth's hood now lay a purring bundle, and next to him walked an equal parts fascinated and mystified Claude.  
"Really, a cat?"  
Byleth shrugged. "Cat's need water and food too."  
Claude shook his head before staring ahead and walking in silence under the mantle of the night. "You are quite a softie for being nicknamed an ashen demon, you know?"  
"I don't.. show emotions, apparently. Or speak sufficiently." Byleth explained, keeping his eyes on the stars overhead. "Heh, well, I guess ostracizing happens everywhere, no matter whether you are Fodlani or not."  
Byleth gave a solemn nod. "Always to anyone different from themselves." He supplemented quietly, surprising himself with how easy it felt to talk when speaking with the Almyran.  
"It's not so hard to speak with you." He admitted as another silence stretched out.  
That earned him a now deceptively true looking smile. "Yeah well, we're in the same boat now. They don't like me here either." The Almyran explained.  
On a curious glance of Byleth the Almyran shrugged. "I am a half-blood. They aren't too keen on where the non-almyran half of my blood came from so yeah. I get you."  
Byleth looked wondered for a moment before internalizing Claude's words. "They dislike you just because of a part of your blood?"  
"Yeah, pretty much. Big surprise but your country isn't exactly popular amongst the Almyran populace. They think all Fodlani are nothing but a bunch of cowards hiding behind their fortresses and nobles and such." The half-Almyran shrugged, but his heart wasn't in the displayed indifference. His eyes star-bound he spoke on.  
"We are all born from the same earth, all live off her bountiful harvests and decay in her embrace. I think to divide us on our blood is stupid when seen in the big span of things."  
"...True.." Byleth answered after a moment of silence.  
His interest piqued, Claude looked away from the star-filled sky to his traveling companion. "You don't think of yourself as superior?" He asked, a certain difficult to name emotion playing within his words.  
Byleth stopped a moment, gazing downward before looking up to the other.  
"No. I cannot speak for all of Fódlan. But I do not think myself above anyone." Byleth weighted his words. "But I haven't been alive long- or saw much of the world." His face drew into a scowl.  
"It is a difficult question to answer properly, Claude." Byleth looked confused. "I cannot meet everyone of Fódlan, or Almyra to judge."  
For a moment the green-eyed boy stood and stared as if waiting for a joke to be sprung. But when only silence answered he shook his head and let out a shallow laugh. Wonder roved on his voice.  
"I think you more than answered the question, Byleth." He spoke his name for the first time. "Though you took it a bit too literally I think." He chuckled again. "You really haven't spoken with people a lot, huh?"  
Both began walking again and Byleth bit through the cramp their momentary pause had brought.  
"Sorry" Byleth still felt confused, earning another actual laugh from the Almyran.  
"No harm done, no apology needed. In fact, I am quite glad I asked. I was afraid all people of Fódlan were, well- a bit self-important. Just goes to show how wrong one can be."  
"...but I do not know whether Fódlan is as I am." Byleth brought up.  
"Maybe, maybe not. All that matters is that I met one Fódlani who isn't. For better or worse." He grinned with a wink. "Means my plan's got some much-needed hope!" His steps sprung more, and somehow Byleth felt the half Almyran's positive mood rub off on him.  
He found himself smiling, despite the pain and the long journey ahead.

"Kinda cold of your dad to leave you." Claude's voice roused him from a hazy war-torn nightmare. Sandy eyed Byleth sat up and picked up his field bottle. The dew of the past morning had been scarce but enough to abate the worst of their thirst, thanks to Claude's ingenuity of using all available clothing to capture it before the sun would rise.  
Now the sunset once more the time to rest had come to an end and Byleth wondered over Claude's words until they finally released their meaning to his sleepy mind.  
"He did the only thing he could." He answered. "Had he remained most of his group wouldn't survive the journey to Triste." He rubbed his eyes. "And he likely didn't know where to look for me."  
Claude was sitting back against the long-dead stump of a tree. His hands crossed above his head.  
"You really can be quite.. tactical, huh?" He wondered, his eyes focused on a place far away.  
"Must be nice to be able to think clearly even in this situation."  
"You are calm too." Byleth inquired.  
"Nah, I am surviving." The half Almyran explained. "Calm me is laying in a grass field a stone's throw from my home, waiting for dinner to be served." He grinned. "If we ever make it back to Salisse."  
"We've passed through there." Byleth remarked as memories of a large mercantile town came to mind.  
"Yeah, when you come from Fódlan you almost always pass Salisse somehow. It's the biggest town in the region. Also one of the most uneasy ones." Claude elaborated. "The khan ruling the area is not known for his peaceful solutions."  
"But it was such a blooming trading town?" Byleth asked. "War and trade, they often do not combine well."  
Smiling the Almyran shook his head. "Nah, he fights against the Fódlani in Fódlan's locket, mainly to prove to the other khans that he has a pair." The youth winked. "All-consuming war hasn't visited Almyra in some decades. My father fought in the last one when he was about my age."  
Byleth found himself quietly listening as they walked. Guiding star ahead, Triad to their left. "My father doesn't speak much of his past." Byleth shook his head. "But I haven't been with him for long. Only since departing for Almyra. He wanted me to see the world. Not to be cooped up." He quoted.  
"Oh, you lived with your mother before then?"  
Byleth fell silent a moment before shaking his head. "I.. slept."  
"Right." Claude chuckled, but Byleth offered no punchline nor other indication that this had been a quip.  
"You slept,.. like, constantly?" Claude asked, now looking rather incredulous.  
"Yes." Byleth shrugged, "Dreamed, again and again. I-.. cannot explain it." He walked on, casting his eyes from the ground to the stars. "Then I woke, and a man calling himself my father took me along... and I have traveled with him ever since. He's looked after me." Byleth shook his head, uncertain as to why he felt himself free enough to speak.  
"Ookay." Claude eyed him. "Hate to say that sounds creepy but-.. frankly it sounds creepy."  
"I do not understand it either." Byleth felt at a loss and stared ahead, being tempted into thought.  
"Well, it does add up with your odd kind of naivety. Ah well, what difference does it make, how you spent your youth?" He asked the rhetorical question before shrugging and smiling with a wink.  
"He taught you to chart and map a route, and that knowledge will hopefully get us out of here. If we make it back in one piece and if you happen to visit Salisse on your way back, come and say hi. You can stay with us."  
"Thank you." Byleth smiled minutely, earning a grin in return.  
"When I get to Fódlan eventually maybe we will meet again and you can treat me then!"  
Puzzled but positively surprised by that line of thought Byleth nodded. "It's a deal."

The journey from there on fell silent as the conversation grew sparse with both traveling companions tiring. Until finally, on the dawn of their second day, they happened upon a well-trodden trail and thin wisps of smoke on the horizon.  
By then, both of them had slung an arm around one another's shoulder to keep going.  
"Just a little more." Byleth whispered on a cracked voice.  
"You just make sure you remain upright." Claude quipped without energy.  
A passing caravan, which had just set out spotted them and one of the caravan guards sped them on their way with a ride on his mount, bringing them to the gates. Clinging to the Almyran Byleth pushed himself forward, step by step before his leg failed to cooperate and the both of them fell onto the dusty dry soil.  
"Guess we made it-.. after all. Partner.." Claude grinned as he relaxed his muscles and fell on his back beside the other, staring at Almyra's peerless blue sky.

What followed, Byleth only remembered sparsely. Moments of extreme clarity in between vague notions of consciousness. Healers, fretting over him and dark wooden beams serving as some kind of ceiling.  
His fathers' voice.  
To that alone he clung, hearing that deep timbre voice scold him one time and cherish him the next. The words faded together, jumbled up by dreams of an immaculately white dragon and a king, as well as something new.  
A golden deer. 

A soft mewing coaxed Byleth from what had felt like a life worth of dreams. His head felt heavy and bruised as it lolled from side to side whenever the surface he was sprawled over would bump.  
With a deep and humming groan, he faced the light that pierced through his lids, only to feel a light little being stand on his chest. It vibrated with peace as the mewing finally ceased and the animal, Byleth guessed, laid down on his chest.  
Slowly he ran his tongue past his parched lips and found himself suddenly ambushed by a strong thirst. Squinting his eyes he saw a tail swish overhead, no doubt belonging to the little purring mass on his chest. Absently he reached up and stroked the little feline over her back before letting his head loll to the side.  
There another passenger lay, covered under a blanket like he was and not quite awake yet.  
''Claude.." Byleth felt his chest squeeze. 

No reaction came, so Byleth struggled to get up, which did not come easily. His body ached with every muscle he knew and a couple which he didn't yet. Groaning he gasped for air and got himself to sit. The lack of any restraint what so ever took away his offhanded worry about being captured.  
"Welcome back in the land of the living." Melis, one of his father's scouts rode up to the back of the cart. "You gave us all quite a scare, you know?"  
Byleth, momentarily stuck for words lowered his head.  
"To be honest, we didn't think we'd see you alive again." Melis offered a worn smile. "You are the only ones who returned and made it to Triste. It's... you should have seen the captain's face." She shook her head.  
"What a mess this mission was." She looked up to the two. "You two near died of desert fever. It's good to see you awake again. How are you feeling?"  
"...alive." Byleth answered, then figured he'd better elaborate on his reply. "Feverish, tired. Worried." He glanced to Claude.  
"Hmmh. I'll let the captain know. He'll be relieved to hear you've woken. We are en route to Derdriu." Byleth found himself slowly nodding, then realized, looking up.  
"Did we pass by Salisse?"  
"No.. not yet. Two more days, three if the winds pick up." Melis shrugged. "Why so?"  
"It's.. where Claude lives." Byleth explained as he looked at the boy beside him.  
"Ah, I see. I will let the captain know. Take it easy and drink up. Your body needs it. Check on your friend too if you can. If his fever spikes call me. I'll get our new medic to check him out."  
Byleth gave a soft nod as the sniper took off, revealing quite the caravan behind him, as well as ahead - if judged on the dust clouds wafting about.  
With a few deep gulps, he quenched his thirst enough for his body to stop whining and then turned his attention to his fellow passenger. Reserved he placed two fingers on the other's forehead, feeling it still quite hot. He drenched a rag and placed it on the others forehead before breaking out his diary to pass the time, reading numerous past entries before getting lost in thought.

His father visited not much later, with the sun still high in the sky.  
"I thought.." Jeralt hesitated before breaking off his sentence entirely. "It doesn't matter, you made it back. As well as that Almyran kid. Melis told me he lives in Salisse, that correct?"  
Byleth nodded.  
"We'll get him back then. We owe him at least that much." Jeralt looked uncomfortable, even more so when Byleth looked at him with questioning eyes.  
Silence was the answer that was given to him, so Byleth looked back to the other before speaking up.  
"I want to stay in Salisse for a little. We promised each other a meal."  
Again, Jeralt looked up with an odd look.  
"..I think we can manage a break. " He assented. "With all that transpired, we all need one." He let out a distressed sigh, Byleth simply nodded before feeling the other's forehead again.  
"His fever is dropping."  
"Good." Jeralt shook his head. "I am in charge of this caravan's security, I gotta go."  
Byleth nodded again, watching his father leave. 

Byleth hadn't felt the need to sleep and was detailing their journey with a shaky, tired script. The stars still shone overhead but the landscape had undergone drastic changes. Having passed the mountains which Triste hugged, the climate had become milder and the vegetation lusher.  
When the morning drew near and the triad set Claude finally stirred. A jarred muscle twitch in his arm, paired with eyes that flitted back and forth under his eyelids. Byleth felt his legs cramp as he hovered close to check on his fever.  
He woke as if he were lurched into consciousness. Feeling his chest squeeze Byleth backed off and sat back down. "Claude.." His name being the first thing that came to mind. "We are safe." He detailed as the other looked about. "My father found us in Triste, I think." Byleth's gaze met the others. "We are two days out from Salisse."  
For a moment Claude silently took in the world and everything that was said against him before finally schooling his face back to normalcy and grimacing soon after as he tried to move.  
"We had desert fever."  
"Now why doesn't that surprise me-" He groaned with a barely audible voice.  
Byleth reached over and took the water sack, handing it over to the half-Almyran.  
"Thanks-" He gulped in the liquid readily before letting out a long and deep sigh. 

"We made it. Ailells even the cat made it." He grinned.  
"We did." Byleth almost whispered. 

As stubborn as Byleth had been about sleep, it ambushed him like a panther now he knew Claude was awake. Sinking ever deeper into her clutches he lost track of time before finally submitting entirely.  
Alas, he was not the only one exhausted from the ordeal, as when Melis came to warn them that Salisse was near the next day, she found the pair slumped against one another, fast asleep. 

Byleth woke first from her voice and the growing city ambiance but Claude wasn't far behind. Where initially Byleth had seen skepticism, now he saw a moment of relief and honest and true happiness on Claude's face. Unguarded and unfeigned.  
"Salisse!" He grinned from ear to ear and near fell out of the cart as he leaned out. "We're actually here!"  
Byleth forced his hurting body to comply and peeked out as well, finding white chalked buildings on wide streets filled with merchants and travelers alike. 

The city was vast and un-walled. Only within its center stood a massive citadel on top of which a palace resided, featuring spires that reached to the sky.  
Claude and Byleth caught glimpses of it as the caravan passed through the main street to one of the major mercantile squares. Once there they both climbed out and stretched their sore muscles.  
Byleth went to find his father, who by now was arguing with the help of an interpreter against a prominent looking merchant. But once he spotted his child however the man broke it off and turned towards them.  
"How are you two feeling?"  
"Sore." Byleth answered before Claude spoke up. "Rearing to go and find my folks!"  
"Go then, both of you. You know this part of town?" Jeralt asked.  
"Course, I know the place like the back of my hand!" Claude grinned. "Don't worry I will bring him back to you."  
"Good, we will be in one of the taverns for a fortnight." Jeralt explained. "If you need a place to sleep-"  
"-won't be needed." Claude interjected. "You should come and visit too when your business is done. They will want to thank you."  
Jeralt scratched behind his neck. "We'll see. Well, run along. Don't get into trouble kid." He addressed Byleth, who simply nodded and was already being guided along by Claude.

Streets upon streets filled with hundreds of merchants winded down to calmer residential streets, until finally, the houses fanned out more and more, allowing for gardens and yards with animals. Amongst those houses Claude suddenly came to a stop and let go of Byleth's sleeve.  
"There-.. there it is." He sounded almost fearful, confusing Byleth somewhat. Only then did he see the way his eyes watered and it suddenly made sense again. Feeling his chest cramp he rested his hand on Claude's far shoulder.  
"I haven't seen them in-.. what?.. weeks?" The half Almyran spoke with a carefully steeled voice that still betrayed his emotions.  
Byleth felt his chest cramp up even more, it was such a strange, new feeling to him. He had never felt it before coming to this land. Slowly he held out his hand to the other.  
"We can go together."  
Breaking into a half sob of a laugh Claude grinned and took his hand. "Let's go then."

It was in those next moments that Byleth saw, and learned of joy, happiness, and relief. What these words truly meant, and how they corresponded with what his body made him feel. He saw the big burly man who was Claude's father, who looked as tough as they came, burst into tears as he wrapped his son into his arms and saw his beautiful mother fall to her knees and weep and kiss her son.  
Not long thereafter, precisely one explanation of Claude later he received near the same treatment. He was taken into a bear hug by his father and was overwhelmed within nearly a minute of receiving their attention.  
Only when they both had been made to speak at length about what happened, as well as a big meal and even more affection did Byleth manage to escape and catch his breath outside.  
Claude found him not much later, and looked substantially better.  
"They can be pretty overwhelming, I don't blame you for needing a break." he chuckled. "If you didn't catch it yet, you have been invited to stay with us until your father leaves town." He winked.  
"Thank you." Byleth spoke, feeling thoroughly drained of all the social interaction.  
"I tried telling them you don't talk very easily, but until they get it I'll bail you out." He chuckled again.  
This caused Byleth to find a smile in himself. "Are you happy to be back?"  
"I won't lie, I didn't think I'd ever see Salisse again. Even after you found me. But- to answer your question - I am. Very much." He leaned against the white chalked house of his parents.  
"You didn't think we'd take you home?" Byleth wondered more than accused.  
"I've learned never to take anything for granted." The half-Almyran explained with a grin. "Something easily could have happened. Wyvern attack, wolves. All it takes is a few strokes of bad luck and that's it." He shrugged. "Being a bit-.. well, pessimistic like that has it's advantages though. Every success is one to celebrate." He grinned again.  
"And here I am, back home. Against all odds. I even made a friend."  
On Byleth's somewhat wondering stare Claude turned to him. "You of course, who else?" He broke into a laugh. Yet as simple as the statement had come from the half-Almyran, Byleth weighed it heavily before meeting his gaze.  
"Friends?" He tasted the word, recalling his father's explanation of the term. 

"Across distance and time, a companion." He repeated his fathers' words before looking up with realization blooming in his eyes.  
"We are friends!" Byleth felt his chest cramp and recognized it as happiness and elation, a smile firmly playing on his lips.  
The green-eyed half-Almyran grinned and squeezed Byleth's shoulder pauldrons, a move Byleth quickly mirrored.  
"To the guiding star in the sky, we are." Claude swore.  
"To the guiding star that guided us back to where we belong." Byleth completed the promise bearing a smile. 

That day, a friendship was formed that would change the world.

**Remire Village, Imperial Year 1180 **

_ First of the Big tree moon, clear skies_

_I've had that dream again. I haven't had it in years. Not since Almyra. I saw it there for the first time. My dreams never change. But they changed in Almyra.  
I wonder if it has any meaning._

_We are heading for Fhirdiad next, father obtained a new contract in the kingdom. _

The morning greeted him once again as the periphery of the dream he had been seeing receded. Slowly he opened his eyes, gazing out through a crack in the shutters. With a sigh he eventually gave up and rubbed his eyes, sitting up he peered back into his memory.  
Wisps of his dream clung to him, dreams mixed with memories of a vast desert and deep green eyes. Sullied his sleep finally fully released its hold of him. And right on time as well, as his father's lumbering footsteps drew near.  
"Up you get kid." He rapped his knuckles over the rough woodwork before opening the squeaky door. "Time to get going."  
"Mmh..." Squinting he slowly let his body down from his raised sleeping cot.  
"Were headed to the kingdom today, it'll be a long hike."  
"As long as that one in Almyra?" Byleth asked, catching his father by surprise.  
"Doubtful."  
"Right. I will be right there." He silently stretched and let a yawn skip.  
"Good." Jeralt left the door on a creek. 

Then all hell broke loose outside and Jeralt's raw voice boomed across the little hamlet.  
Swiftly Byleth grabbed his blade and his satchel and rushed outside, finding the full company of mercenaries answering to his father all at the ready.  
"Bandits." Jeralt informed them. "A village kid saw em scamper by. They will no doubt try and sack the place. Spread out and flush them out of the woodwork!"  
Taking those orders to heart Byleth set out and darted into the woods, following the sounds of a skirmish ahead. Through the shadows of the forest, not lighted yet by the awakening light of dawn, struggling shadows were seen and a snarl and labored breathing followed.  
Drawing his blade from its scabbard Byleth drew upon the countless lessons of Jeralt and poised his blade low. A twang sounded and was followed by the sound of his blade biting into fur, leather, and skin. Leaning into his strike Byleth drove the blade home and ran it clean through before pulling it out of the body and turning on his heel ready for what came next. Only minutely he looked to his side. "Are you alright?" when his eyes locked with a pair donning a very familiar shade of green.  
The blood in his veins froze as he recognized the bow-wielding youth.  
"Claude..." He whispered the name as if it were a prayer. Wondering whether his eyes were deceiving him. Face as if hewn from stone he saw all the memories take place yet again before taking in the other who now bore an expression of apprehensive ..hope?  
"Byleth?"

Byleth's chest cramped as the last shreds of doubt were erased and a smile broke through his stoicism.  
Hands clasped as he remembered their parting so many years ago, and in the very same style of that parting their reunion took place. Both clasped one another's shoulders in embrace.  
"It's good to see you." The half Almyran grinned. "I was actually hoping to find you- as small as the chances were - looks like you found me instead!"  
"It's good to see you too. How are you-..." Byleth felt his words wander. "Come, let us get out of the forest." He remembered his manners and eyed the other two. "You will be safe in the village. Follow me."

"How are you here?" Byleth managed to ask. Causing the other to grin. "That's a long story-"  
"By the goddess." Jeralt exclaimed, followed by a sigh. "What in Ailell happened?" The old mercenary shook his head.  
"Bandits." The blonde youth spoke up. "They assaulted us at night."  
"Then they followed you here." Jeralt finished the basic reasoning.  
"Can I ask you for a favor? Please pretend we met in Derdriu-" Claude managed to whisper to Byleth before his father's gaze turned upon the two.  
"Is this-?" He furrowed his brow. "You two know one another?" He did not seem to recognize the other.

Byleth looked up to the old man, then back to Claude. "We may have met before, whilst we were at work in Alliance territory."  
"My name's Claude von Riegan." The other winked. "You probably helped a few merchants I know."  
Jeralt raised a brow before giving up with a sigh and walking off to prepare for the trek to the monastery. 

"Sorry about that." The half-Almyran offered an uncertain smile. Byleth shook his head. "I understand."  
"I was hoping you would." The other looked up through the trees.  
"Riegan.. of the Alliance's house Riegan?" Byleth asked. Claude grasped the intent behind the question.  
"My mother's side of the family." He winked with a grin. "I only was officially recognized as a legitimate heir last year though."  
Byleth looked impressed a moment before adjusting. "And now you are attending the monastery.."  
"All for my goal." The half Almyran assured him with a grin and looked up the mountains to the northeast.  
"You remember what we spoke of during our journey? A world without racism, or division by bloodlines." He spoke as he gazed up to the sky.  
"I remember." Byleth recalled the resolve behind those words on the journey they made through the desert  
"To do that I need to get myself into a position where I can actually influence these things. So, that's why I am at Garreg Mach, basically." He shrugged his shoulders in a now-familiar gesture.  
Byleth found himself bearing a smile. 

"To change the world, for the better."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Almyra **\- A nation to the east of Fódlan. Consisting mainly of vast plains and a desert region this land thrives of trade and livestock. To the far south the land shares a mountainous border with Morfis.  
**Morfis **\- A desert nation of magic users, shrouded in mystery. To venture into it's desert without a guide means certain death. The country sends out several massive caravans that travel in between large caravansary, caravan rest stops. Slaves of foreign origin are in high demand with these caravans.  
**Triste **\- A caravan city in the deep southern regions of Almyra, trade caravans travel further south towards Morfis as well as it's eastern neighboring country to trade spices and wares.  
**Salisse **\- A city situated on the wide plains of Almyra directly east of Fódlan's locket, across the mountains. Thriving off trade as well as vast migratory livestock herds and their keepers. The resident khan who rules the territory is one of the lesser lords in service to the great khan who controls the largest parts of Almyra.
> 
> \----  
This marks the end of this fic, thank you for reading this far! If you enjoyed it and would like to read more in this series please let me know.


	3. Part 2 - Chapter 1

**Garreg Mach Monastery, Imperial year 1180, 2nd of the Harp String moon. Chilly, clear skies.**

_The chill of early spring is unmistakably present. I am still here, in Garreg Mach. None of my worst fears have come true, so far. Even the work, which felt so difficult in the beginning, now seems to ease up on me somewhat. Though I owe much of that to our house leader. _

Byleth looked up from writing to watch the first sunlight creep through his small windows, painting the dust motes in his room in a brilliant shade of ocher yellow. Taking his quill in between his lips for a moment he turned the pages back. He fanned the ink of the most recent entry dry whilst rereading his first entry of the month. 

**1rst of the Great tree moon. Overcast skies.**

_I do not know why they chose me. I have nothing to teach, nor the ability to educate. At least I won't be alone. I have been assigned the house of my choosing. The day starts soon, I still need to read much. _

A deep, content sigh came off him. Somehow he had struggled through this moon, and somewhere down the line Seteth's advice had taken hold and proven true.  
Flipping to the fifth of the Great Tree moon he re-read the entry. 

**5th of the Great Tree moon. Clear skies. **

_I have spoken with the archbishop's advisor. Seteth. He is stern, but just I believe. I reluctantly voiced my uncertainty. It never fails to mystify me how people can change their entire demeanor based on a single question being asked.  
He advised me confidence. We will see how it turns out._

Believing the ink dry, he let his diary fall shut, then set out, grabbing a warm overcoat to banish the early spring's cold morning. The monastery was quiet at times such as these. Tranquil and yet filled with life. Birds and wild Pegasi dared to approach and graze, or hunt for worms.  
Warily a pair of the white winged horses looked up as Byleth passed the classrooms to head to the warmer great hall. He headed to the dining hall for an early morning's start. 

With a cup of tea and some freshly baked bread under his arm he made his way up the second floor and headed towards the library. A place so unique, no other library he had ever set foot in could compare. The smell of the old books and parchment, mixed with the old wood attuned his mind to the task at hand.  
Stealing a chair he dug into his classwork for the day, for if he were to succeed as a teacher, he'd need to learn as well, according to Seteth. The man had further advised him on this matter, encouraging him to study in order to advance his knowledge in subjects where he felt himself lacking. Jeralt had taught him plenty of things, but the treasure's worth of knowledge that sat in this library was of another order altogether.  
One of the monasteries felines jumped on his lap as he worked, nagging him incessantly for his affection. Affection Byleth was more than happy to give in exchange for the peaceful warm rumbling being’s presence.

“I see that you have taken my lessons to heart.” Seteth appeared an hour or so later. Looking up from his work Byleth found himself nodding. “It.. helps." He thought about his words.  
"Good, I am glad to hear so." The other spoke with a serious tone. "Expanding your own knowledge is certain to benefit your students as well as yourself." The green haired man spoke before taking a seat and placing down the book he had carried under his arm.  
"There is however a matter that needs your attention." He looked up, causing Byleth's stomach to involuntarily sink. "Oh?"  
"It is about your house leader, Claude." The man put up a scowl. "I found him in the library last night, well after curfew. I expect you to uphold our rules, professor. I suggest reprimanding him, either verbal or through some other means. We instituted those rules fore for a reason."  
Byleth gave a grave nod. "I will discuss it with him, thank you for bringing this to my attention."  
"Of course." Seteth concluded with that, allowing Byleth to release the breath he had been holding for a moment. It wasn't that he particularly feared the man, but rather his own inability to adequately answer him. Words still didn't come easy. Even after standing in front of a class all day. But little by little, Byleth realized he was improving.  
Giving his work a last glance over he finished his meal before heading out once more to prepare the lessons of the day.

"Claude, please remain." Byleth asked right after chimes of the great clocks had ceased. Whilst the students were filtering out of the class one by one the secretly half-Almyran looked up with surprise in his eyes before pulling up a grin.  
"Sure Teach." He approached the desk, but Byleth waved him over to one of the fire places instead, as he was nearly numb of all feeling in his fingers by now. 

"What's up?" The youth asked. 

"Seteth caught you in the library yesterday." Byleth simply notified him.  
"Yeaaah about that-" The other crossed his arms behind his neck. "I lost track of time." He shrugged.  
Byleth felt his chest cramp, not exactly in a good way. He was happy to have his old friend back, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something felt off.  
"Just, don't get caught next time." Byleth looked into the flames as he warmed his hands.  
"Right, gotcha Teach." The other grinned with what almost felt like a forced cheeriness in his voice. 

Then no one spoke again, and a silence fell which was a lot more uncomfortable than he was used to back during the days he spent in Almyra. 

Byleth's chest cramped up even more. He just didn't know how to broach the subject, or what exactly felt wrong. All he knew was that he had been feeling so ever since meeting him again. Or better said, ever since stepping onto the grounds of Garreg Mach.  
Usually, when confronted with silences this long, people simply left. They were unable to bear it. Yet when Byleth looked up Claude still was right next to him, staring into the fire.  
His chest felt as if it could burst when he saw that strange look, that forced happiness painted on his friends face. 

"...what happened?" 

No other words or phrasing would come, he felt his words to be a woefully inadequate inquiry, as compared to what he truly felt. Yet the words had been spoken.  
Claude simply looked at him for a moment before firmly fixing his mask in place, for the lack of a better term. "What do you mean? Derdriu?" He offered, but Byleth shook his head. 

"Your smile, it doesn't reach your eyes anymore."

This filled the room with a poignant silence, one where the other faltered in between one expression and the next. 

"A lot did." Claude finally answered. "Too much to tell you here." He still clung to his mask. "How else did you think I became a recognized heir?"

Byleth squinted his eyes. "Did it involve a lot of political turmoil?"

"That's definitely a part of it, yeah. We are speaking of the alliance after all." Claude crossed his arms and leaned against the side of the fireplace. "Let's just say it was a long road."  
Byleth saw Claude make an effort, and his empty smile fell to betray a serious expression, which quickly flitted to a weary one. 

"All to make my dream come true." He smiled, a faint resemblance of his old smile appeared. It sent a wave of relief surging through Byleth's system, to look into those familiar eyes again. 

"That's worth a few sacrifices, right?"

Byleth walked towards him then, a simple three steps, but they changed the entire dynamic of the room. 

"You do not need to do it all on your own." He forced himself to emote the worry he felt.  
"Don't you worry about me." Claude deflected, the mask that had been lifted now back and firmly in place.  
"What is it you were studying in the library?" Byleth asked, right before the aspiring archer was out of the doors. 

Turning on a heel he grinned. "Boring old stuff."

Miffed Byleth watched him dash out of the doors. With a sigh he sat down on Lysithea's seat and rubbed his neck.  
"Boring old stuff.." Byleth looked up before getting to his feet and out the door. A plan forming in his mind. 

As night fell Byleth set out for the library with a big stack of work under his arm. Finding a corner close to the doors he set up for the next few hours and got to reading the expanded Fodlan history, silently hoping for his plan to go off without a hitch. With the low level of light in the library, and a single candle beside him he laid in wait. Even after midnight the monastery didn't quiet down. Many nuns as well as resident night owls still lingered, only the student body was subjected to the midnight curfew. Not that everyone kept to it, so to say.

An hour and a half past midnight things were so quiet that Byleth could clearly hear whomever approached. Even more so the extra soft footfalls of someone who wasn't supposed to be there. 

Blowing out his candle he waited and saw a head of full black hair stick in to check for any late night readers before slipping in and softly pulling the door shut.  
Silently Byleth got up and maneuvered himself behind the intruder, who now definitely had to be Claude, as judged by that little dangling braid he kept.  
Stalking through the library to ensure no surprises the half-Almyran grinned. "Perfect, all clear-" 

"This must be very interesting ‘boring old stuff’ you are after." Byleth revealed himself with initially a stoic face.  
Claude jolted forward and spun on his heels.  
"Teach!!" He gasped for a moment. Byleth grinned. "What did I say about getting caught?"

"You gave me a scare, sneaking up on me like that-" Claude hissed to keep silent, his face bearing a mix of both surprise and relief. 

"What if I were Seteth?" Byleth drove the point home with a unique inflection he had heard others often use, which turned out to be sarcasm. 

"Well, you aren't sporting a head full of green hair so-" Claude broke into a somewhat nervous chuckle before finally settling down from his start.

Byleth crossed his arms and let out a sigh before permitting his smile to bleed through. "Really, what are you researching this late?"

Admitting defeat with a sigh, Claude finally lowered his guard again. "You don't give up, do you?"

Byleth shook his head. "You've changed. As if.." He struggled to find the right words. "You do not trust me."

To this Claude's expression shifted to one of guilt. "That's.. not it. Not really." He looked troubled. "It's hard to explain for me, too." Claude finally sat down, so Byleth followed suit.

"Across distance and time, a companion" Byleth repeated his father's explanation of years ago. "I know all about not finding the right words.." Byleth looked to the wood grain of the worn desk. "But.. I feel you struggling." He looked up, finding Claude looking off to the giant globe behind him.  
"I don't know what I can do, if there even is anything I can do..." Byleth hesitated for a moment before closing his eyes.  
"But know I haven't forgotten the oath we swore on the guiding star that day." Byleth stood up, letting his fingers trail over the desk.  
"You are my friend... the only one I have ever had." Byleth looked to the globe that seemed to captivate the other.  
"I am nothing but a mercenary, and now a teacher. But I will be there for you.. just as you have been there for me during this difficult first month." He sighed while remembering.

"You think.. I bit off more than I can chew?" Claude asked, his voice forlorn.

Now looking at him, Byleth met his gaze and saw the depths of his doubts swirling in his eyes. "What are the steps you need to take?" Byleth answered the question with a question. 

"..to become the head of the Leicester Alliance. To hope on sympathetic rulers, willing to consider my ideals.. or to replace them." His voice lingered.  
"To then take Almyra." His voice drifted even further.  
"And then to make peace." He stared directly into Byleth, who had been listening to him quietly.  
"Sounds insane, right? Impossible.." Claude spoke, a bitter undertone lining his words. 

"Take it one step at the time. Begin laying the foundation work with Edelgard and Dimitri. Focus on your studies and alliances. Then when the year is over, focus on the Leicester alliance." Byleth spoke. "Believe in your ideals, in yourself. Then others will follow." Byleth reached out and placed his hand on the others shoulder.  
"Believe in yourself. In the depth of your conviction, then you will accomplish what you seek."

When silence took over and the meaning of his words had sunk in, Claude took in a deep breath. Letting it escape between half parted lips he clasped Byleth's shoulder with his other hand.  
"Thanks again, for giving my dreams some much needed hope, my friend." The tension seemed to seep from him, vanishing into their touch. "I had almost.."  
Claude shook his head violently before brandishing a smile that actually reached his eyes. "No time for lamenting could have's."

Byleth nodded with a smile. "Go and get some sleep. Before Seteth catches us both."  
"Yeah, maybe that's not such a bad idea." The other smiled a familiar smile. "I guess my midnight library visits will have to come another time." He walked off to fetch a book when Byleth set out for the doors.  
But as Byleth got to the doors his ears picked up on nearing footsteps. Turning around he gestured to get Claude's attention before gesturing upwards whilst mouthing  
'Hide!'  
The doors creaked open, revealing a rather tired looking Seteth on his nightly rounds.

"Professor?" He sounded wondered. "Up so late?"  
"Yes" Byleth nodded, forcing his jamming throat to cooperate. "Needed to finish Fodlan's history." He held up the book he had staked out with before. "The reports of the tealtean battle were rather fascinating." He forced himself to use his full range of vocabulary. 

"Ah, I see. That battle indeed is one worthy of study. But isn't it rather late for that?" The assistant to the archbishop looked around a now empty library. 

"Yes, I was headed back to retire for the night." Byleth stared at Seteth's face, but found no surprise or sacred indignation, yet. 

"Well, I suggest we both head back to retire then." The green haired male spoke. "I don't suppose you have spoken with your houseleader about obeying curfew yet, have you?"  
As the both of them exitted the library, Byleth cast a gaze backwards, catching an upside down waving hand throwing a thumbs up. For the briefest moment he smiled before answering Seteth his question. 

"I have. He promised to take the curfew more serious now."

**4rth of the Garland moon, Windy**

_Basic introductions and two months of education aside, now I know the truth of my students. Their characters, strengths and lows. The battle in Zanado was an eye opener in many other aspects, too. _

"For one, Claude is a good actor." Byleth mumbled, but opted to omit that from his report. 

_Needing to take lives for the first time, it shows how someone works. Why they are here. What they want in life, and how far they are willing to go to achieve it. Some have been prepared for warfare, for taking lives. Nobles such as Lorentz and Hilda. Claude. _

He lifted his pen, feeling strange to write half-truths. Yet when he had spoken with Claude on his diary entries, he had been rather relieved to hear he had obscured much of his history for his sake. This wasn't a time to stop. And omitting his name entirely because of that would only look suspicious. Anyone could break into his room and read this. He did not want his friend to get into even more trouble over such a simple thing as a diary. 

_Others are clearly unprepared for the act of taking a life. Ignatz, even people like Leoni and Raphael. Yet somehow the youngest of the whole house had been composed and poised. Lysithea is in many aspects still a mystery. They will need to learn fast if they are to be ready for the mission at the end of the month._  
Why would any noble choose suicide by army of the church?  
It doesn't make sense. 

"In preparation of this months mission I am asking all of you to meet me after class at the library." Byleth gauged how the news landed. Even though it was a kingdom noble who had rebelled, the news had still hit close to home for some. Most of all the studious Lysithea. 

"I know it must sit uncomfortable by most of you-" Byleth let his words wander as a hand rose into the sky. Giving a reluctant nod, Lorentz stood. 

"Forgive me for being so forward, but it is our duty as nobility to protect the common folk. Surely such an act of protection cannot lead to doubt?"

Byleth closed his eyes for a moment before laying down his lesson material.  
"Not all of us have been instructed as you were, Lorentz. It would be wise of you not to overlook your classmate's feelings." He admonished gently. "To take a life, like you have done in Zanado, is ideally something that will never come easily. Whether the life you are taking belongs to a common thief or to an erring noble." He explained. "Even more so, this is someone whose son attends this monastery. I ask of you to please be mindful of this." Byleth held Lorentz's gaze, who relented a moment. 

"This meeting will be to speak freely of whatever doubt, worries or questions you hold. And depending on whether you as students prefer it or not, it may be repeated in the future. If you have questions, prepare them." He eyed around the room. 

Hours later, Claude was the first to arrive, well ahead of time.  
"Bold move, to call an open question session like this." The he smiled easy now. "Will you be alright? I've noticed you are improving."

Byleth nodded. "I do not think many will attend, however." A hint of sadness mingled through his tone. 

"Not everyone cares for Lorentz's opinion." Claude encouraged. "Why do you think Lonato would make such a rash move?"

Byleth set to thinking. "I've been giving that some thought as well. My only conclusion is that he is being used somehow. Coerced."

"Yeah, I came to the same conclusion." Claude pushed his knuckle to his lips. "Well, whatever set this in motion will have a goal in mind, somehow."  
Byleth nodded softly. "But what?"

By then Ignatz and Lysithea wandered into the library. Followed by Leoni and Hilda. Marianne and Raphael followed suit not long after. And finally even Lorentz joined, much to Byleth's surprise. 

The ensuing discussion was open, and carried out with a more intimate feeling, largely due to the setting. 

"Does it ever get any easier?" A question rang after many others had been answered. When Byleth looked up he met Claude's gaze, the one who had asked that very question. "Taking a life, does it get easier? Do you eventually forget their faces or will they haunt you forever?" His question sounding oddly serious. 

Byleth let the question roll around in his mind before arriving on a conclusion.  
"No. I still remember the first life I took, and I still remember many of their faces. But after a while, ... faces tend to blur together." He explained, his eyes squinting as his chest rumbled with the odd feeling he knew to be sadness. 

"Blurred memories paired with moments so clear they could have happened only seconds ago. As for the ease of taking a life... if you value what makes you human, you will fight for it to stay difficult." Byleth closed his eyes and sat down.

"Perhaps not during the fight itself, but when it is over. When you lay in your bed at night, or glance up to the stars." Words rushed him, but did not overwhelm him. "Their faces are there, and you realize that their lives were as complex as your own. They too have fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, daughters and sons who wonder why their parent never came home." Byleth spoke whilst his eyes were focussed on his misty memories.

"That is why one needs a reason. A motivation. Not even beasts kill out of boredom or spite. They kill to eat, they kill to survive. Always make sure you know your motivations, your feelings and check whether they are worthy to take a life for. Those who begin wars stain their hands in the deepest of crimson, in the blood of those caught by the melee's and the raging fires, or by the results of the famine that follows in its wake, or the disease spread by it's corpses." Byleth felt a shiver run down his spine as his tongue seemed to have broken free of it's restraint. 

"Whenever you draw your blade, ready your spell or otherwise intend to take a life, consider;  
Is it worth it? Only if you can honestly answer yourself this question, you can go into battle.  
And even then, it will not leave you unscarred. If you cannot bear the marks death carves upon your soul, then never again pick up a blade." Byleth looked over his pupils. "That is why Lonato must be stopped, before worse bloodshed can be caused, to prevent a revolt, which could lead to a civil war. It happened before. We cannot let it happen again." Byleth concluded, feeling oddly exhausted yet fulfilled. 

The class sat silently, mulling his words over in their heads before more questions followed, gladly enough of a lighter nature.

When the library was almost empty, and finally Lorentz left as well after a fervent discussion, Byleth let out a deep sigh and relaxed his body, sinking against the side of the stairs and onto the ground. 

"That was quite the oration." Claude commented from the mezzanine floor. Looking skyward Byleth rested his head against the aged wood of the staircase.  
"It is as if the restraint keeping my tongue was lifted." His eyes closed. "The words just.. came.. and didn't stop."

Hopping downward Claude landed in a less than graceful manner before taking seat in one of the chairs.  
"I think this was probably a good call of you teach. I'll go and keep an eye on them.. you get some rest, alright. This had to be tiring for you."  
Byleth gave Claude a slow nod.  
"Need me to carry you again?" The other winked with a grin.  
"If I recall correctly, we carried one another." Byleth sighed as he got up.  
Claude just grinned, shaking his head. "See ya tomorrow Teach."

**1rst of the Blue Sea moon, Windy **

_It was supposed to have been a simple clean-up. A chance for them to see the aftermath of a squashed rebellion. Instead we were confronted with Lonato's desperate final charge, causing us to be forced to strike him down. Some are shaken, their core belief of what it means to be a noble took a bad hit. Others are reminded of a dark pasts that I cannot begin to take a guess at. I need to study Fodlan's history better._  
Despite the ordeal that this mission turned into, they did well. I will call another discussion tonight, I think they need it.  
Maybe I should invite Lord Lonato's son as well. 

The early morning air felt warmer now. Closing his diary Byleth got up to get some training in before the day would properly start. Only to find his father already there, on the training grounds. 

"Byleth.." Jeralt halted his warm up routine when he noticed his son. 

"Father." His tongue seemed to lock itself to his jaw, his words fleeing from his reach. 

"I hear good things about you. Are you.. fitting in a little? Getting used to the work?"  
Feeling his unease rise Byleth gave a shallow nod as he prepared to train, before remembering to verbally answer as well.

"I am, I think. "

"I heard from one of the guards that you gave quite the speech in the library a few days ago. Wasn't sure if they were telling the truth but.." Jeralt let the sentence float.

"I did." Byleth answered as he began his warm ups. "Words.. just came. Maybe I am learning."

"Well, you did good then." Jeralt spoke. "I am glad you are picking up on life in the monastery. To be frank I didn't think you'd fit in as well as you are." The aged mercenary swung his lance about. "It's like you are a different person, almost."

Byleth looked confused for a moment. "I see." He didn't know how to respond to his father's query. Or did he? For a moment he looked up and saw in the dawn-filled morning sky the guiding star, still alight. An unseen smile visited him before he finally threw himself into his morning training. 

"This moon we have been assigned to provide security for the Rite of Rebirth that will be taking place within the monastery." Byleth paced to stand right before the first set of desks. "Most of the knights have been assigned to pacify the town, should something happen. Leaving the monastery to us." 

An uneasy mumbling followed. The note that had been found on lord Lonato held all of the monastery in its grasp. "As to how we will manage this security, a duty we share with the other houses, is up to us as a class." Byleth eyed around. "Any suggestions are welcome." He eyed around the room. 

Leonie's hand shot up, and with an approving nod she spoke. "The monastery is vast, how can they expect twenty-four students and three professors to secure it all?"  
Byleth nodded. "Indeed. Anyone else?"

Claude's rose his hand. "Well, to start we have a note threatening an attack on Lady Rhea, on the festival night." He began to explain. "That is just.. vague and damn convenient, don't you think?" He shrugged. "Lord Lonato just 'happens' to be holding onto a note like that when we encounter him? Sounds fishy. They have to be after something else."

Byleth couldn't help his smile as he nodded. "Exactly. We need to find out what that could be."

From there on Claude directed the search, and Byleth honestly didn't feel any need to take back the reins, instead opting to follow Claude's suggestions and helping with the information gathering the rest of the class was doing. 

The end result was revealed in another discussion session in the library. All the chairs had been pulled into a circle and someone had brought beef jerky as well as a load of sweets. 

"So, what do we know?" Claude asked, sitting on his chair the wrong way around. "Teach?"  
Byleth looked up before gathering his thoughts. "The treasury is nothing but old weaponry and devoid of anything valuable. Also, the dining hall is a no." He sighed softly.  
"But think of all that delicious food!" Raphael complained. 

"Food isn't typically something worth stealing, Raphael." Ignatz tried but Claude intervened. "What about you, Lorentz?"

"Well, I did some inquiries left and right and sadly none bore fruit. It seems no one is desperately searching for any particular student or item, at least amongst the nobility."

"Yeah, okay. Hilda?"

"Nope, nothing on my watch. No one seems interested in any of these old stuffy books. And even if they were, the library is free for anyone to enter and browse." She shrugged.  
"Okay, so the library is a no as well, Lysithea, you found anything?"

"Well, possibly." The noble of house Ordelia spoke. "During the Rite of Rebirth the sacred catacombs are opened for the public. They can visit Saint Seiros's grave, but here is the catch, this only ever happens during the rite of rebirth." She held a firm, proud smile.

"That may be it." Byleth frowned. 

"Using the assassination as a decoy.. yeah but then what is there to gain from nosing around in a stuffy old tomb?" Hilda wondered.

"We may not have all the answers now." Byleth spoke up. "But judging on what we now know, it is a likely target, even if their motives still remain unknown."

"I agree. Well, then I guess we will be securing the sacred tomb!" The half-Almyran grinned with a wink. "We'll see if our detective and reasoning talents pay off."

If only he had anticipated what had followed. Byleth charged the fire wielding mage ahead, cutting him down before the blast of magic could finish of Raphael, who now lay panting on the tomb floor. "Hilda press onwards, take out the cavalry ahead! Claude run around and target that thief-" He gasped for breath as he heard his own voice echo in between the dense stone walls.  
"Ignatz back up Hilda, Marianne get Raphael on his feet, now!" He felt his own voice go sore as he yelled and fought at the same time, duking it out with a brawler. 

"Lorentz not so far! Don't overreach!" He muttered a curse as his body struggled to overpower the strongly built man he fought, eventually succeeding. Driving a sword down into his enemy he took a lung full of stale air and ran. "Guide them to the casket Claude!" He yelled but his voice snapped and a prevalent pain spread through his neck. Alarmed his hand shot to his neck, but no red stains or other injuries revealed himself. 

"Lorentz!" He yelled on a broken voice as the noble took a bad hit and went down to a knee. 

"Ignatz-" He struggled before being forced to deal with another head of cavalry. 

"I got it-" The archer replied and shot true, saving Lorentz from an untimely death. 

The battle seemed to drag on for hours with no shortage of enemies nor close calls. Once the tide was turned he made a run for the altar, where a mage had broken the spell resting on the casket. Grasping something from it's depths Byleth corrected for his hurt shoulder and swung up his sword, only for it to be met by a bone...sword?

The mage had a bad grip and the blade wrestled itself free from his control, spinning through the air until Byleth caught the grip. 

Given no time to take in anything more than it actually being a sword, the mage spun up his magic and created a fireball. Reflexes took over and with a single swipe the blade batted the magic out of existence and turned... orange?

Again reflexes kicked in and more magic flew, until the mage lost his calm and desperately spun up a barrier to save his own life. Charging forward Byleth rammed the sword into it from a high arc, and cracked the magic to splinters, taking with it the life of it's caster.  
Only then did he allow himself to breathe and look at the strange, glowing blade in his hand. 

Exhausted he had gathered his students and sped them back to Manuela's infirmary, where the former songstress now mothered over her. Someone had caught up on their struggle and summoned the knights to take over. 

"We managed, but only just." Byleth whispered on a hoarse voice.  
"No one can anticipate a mage summoning in a whole army." Hilda piped up, her arm in a sling. 

"Well we know they are organized and determined. Not to mentioned magically gifted. There isn't much we could have done better." Claude noted.  
"Besides, we achieved our goal!" He pointed out with a smile. "Whatever it was they were after, Teach has it now."

Byleth held up the blade, taking in it's odd features. "The material it is made of.. it looks like Catherine's relic."

"You should ask Lady Rhea after the ceremony is complete. " Lorentz offered as a mage was tending to his leg. 

Byleth nodded, then gathered himself again, even if his voice was still unwilling to cooperate. "Well done, all of you. Go and get some rest."  
"I am proud of you." He held a nascent smile. The room filled with soft smiles and broad grins at that, giving Byleth the shivers. 

**31rst of the Blue Sea moon, Sunny **

_To think words could have such an effect. To think they...all of us, grew so much in only a few months. They grow stronger and smarter with every passing week. Now only if my words would come when I speak with father.._  
I asked Cyril to ask Seteth to come when the ceremony is finished. I will rest to let the healing magic do it's work until they come. I wonder why of all things, a sword has been laid to rest in a coffin, and who in the world would go to such lengths to obtain it..  
Answers never come easy, do they? 

"The sword of the creator-" Claude's mask fell and splintered into a thousand pieces.  
Uncertain of how to take that, Byleth forced himself to nod. "The archbishop wants me to keep it." He added, disbelief lining his voice.

"Teach-.. Byleth. That is a sword of legend, one I dreamed of as a kid. The legend goes that you can split a mountain in two with it-" Claude shook his head. Incredulous he glanced over the blade. Silence followed as neither felt inclined to speak. One revered the blade whereas the other wondered just how to handle everything that was happening. 

"It's more than that.." Claude spoke, clearly lost in thought. "It.. responds to you. Without it even having a crest stone..." Claude looked up to Byleth, who shook his head. 

"I don't know either." The other answered. "I don't even know why Lady Rhea chose to entrust it to me. Not even Seteth knows..." He recalled the man's near panicked outburst.  
"Well, I doubt I could ever wield it-.. but you." The other found a shard of his mask again. "Well, there are definitely worse things than having one's best friend be the wielder of the legendary sword of the creator." He met his gaze with a grin. 

"It makes you even more invaluable to me and for my plans." 

Byleth looked towards him, wondering just what happened to cause his friend to need this mask he now so often wore. One he barely shed, unless it was just the two of them. And even then…

"How did you even get up here?" Byleth wondered, to which he got a broad smile and a wink. "Ah, well, you know me Teach. I like my secrets~"

Byleth shook his head, still feeling his smile present as they gazed over the monastery grounds from the building's third floor rooftop garden. 

"You do." Byleth closed his eyes, his throat still ached, despite the healers best efforts.  
Now, a comfortable silence sat in between them as they both took in the evening traffic happening inside the monastery. 

In these companionable silences, Byleth felt nostalgic. Recalling their arduous march through the desert. 

Together, bound in silence of unspoken secrets, they watched the guiding star rise above the rooftops. It's flickering white a beacon to all, and a memory to the both of them.  
So did the guiding star guide them both, ever onwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of had a fight with the format, my bad if the diary entries look confusing! Thank you for reading!  
So here is a chapter I didn't think I'd write. I thought I had finished the fic but then, well, idea's happened and I had no choice.  
I am editing the rest and will be fixing grammar flaws left and right! 
> 
> Author's tibbit of the chapter:  
Seteth is officially this whole monastery's dad. That is my headcannon and no one can bring me to change it.  
Also, the horse models they used aren't flying with me. Nope, ordinary horses shall be described. On a last note, Byleth still has terrible handwriting.


	4. Part 2 - Chapter 2

**17th of the Wyvern moon, Overcast.**

_The last two months have been a challenge. For the class as well as for me. First a lost relic, then a lost student. Flayn is safe now, but the after effects of that battle left everyone reeling. Myself included. _  
Flayn has chosen to join our class, for safety purposes. Seteth seems to be breathing easier these days as well.  
Despite everything that has transpired, we still need to prepare. The year's largest mock battle, the battle of the eagle and lion, is coming up fast. To say the students are motivated is somewhat of an understatement, I think. 

Byleth watched the sun set whilst keeping an eye on his students. Both to train as well as to process all that happened in the last months, he had found himself calling a lot more discussion sessions than before. Both in the field as well as in the monastery's library.  
Granted the method of 'discussing' depended on their surroundings. 

"Watch your reach Marianne." He advised as he oversaw his students 'discuss' with a pack of local bandits. "Claude leave some for the others, please." Byleth sighed as the now proficient archer voiced a questionable apology. 

"Raphael keep away from the mage, Ignatz take the shot." His eyes roved amongst his students as he ran in between them. 

"Well done Hilda." He commended the usually lazy aristocrat.  
The final two bandits had their retreat cut off by Leoni and Lorentz, ending the exercise for the group as a whole. 

"You think we are ready professor?" Lysithea asked as she dispelled her magic.  
Byleth considered the question a moment before giving a nod. "Ready, yes. But we can do more. We cannot afford to lose." Byleth stated calmly, but the shout was overtaken by Raphael. "We won't lose!"

"And even if we are, usually Claude has a poison or two-" Hilda grinned, glancing to her house leader who pulled an 'I-cannot-confirm-nor-deny-that' smirk. 

"We won't lose." Lysithea cheered. Byleth shook his head with a smile creeping up to his lip. 

"For today, however, you are finished. Do your stretches and then get a meal and some rest in. Tomorrow we will be meeting at the gates at first light."

Returning back the monastery however, they ran into a crowd.  
"What.. happened?" Byleth wondered as he was met by an exodus of students looking to quickly vacate the dining hall. 

"Annette's got cooking duty, I bet." Lysithea mentioned as she hid behind him to shield herself from the stream of people pushing to get out. 

"Did she put something on fire again?" Byleth turned around and wondered. 

"Apparently-" A young voice spoke up who followed suit and stood beside Lysithea. It was the young Faergus prince himself. "-the dish wouldn't heat and she .. used a fire spell." The prince looked marginally worried as well as slightly frightened. 

"The cabinets are burning!" Someone yelled in the now almost emptied hall, save a few flailing students who desperately were running back and forth with water.  
Then one of the other professors pushed past the mass of people and summoned his magic to his hand before casting an ice based spell which instantly ended the fire and the developing smoke. Professor Hanneman let out a big sigh. "Anette, you very nearly burned down Garreg Mach-"

"I should probably go to her-" Dimitri sounded a tad lost. 

"I guess that means no dinner, then." Lysithea sulked. Claude would have definitely teased her with that expression. However the young mage brought Byleth on an idea. "I will see if the fish want to bite." He turned around, leaving the young noble wondering. 

Having donned a more casual outfit he only recently purchased, Byleth grabbed some fishing gear and sat himself down on the edge of the dock before casting out his line.  
By the time he had strung his first big fish, Lysithea had come to watch. 

"That is a big one." She smiled. "But how will we prepare it?"

"Go and find Leoni and Raphael for me, please. They will be able to handle the cooking aspect."

"Oh- right! Then all we need is some plates and maybe some cutlery- I'll take care of it!" Off she sprinted. 

A good fifteen minutes later Claude appeared, with Marianne in tow. "I heard the rumor you are catching dinner Teach~" He grinned. "Just put them down over there Mariane, I will get us a fire going." Byleth nodded before getting distracted by a bite. 

Next time he looked a fire burned and chairs were being fetched from the dining hall for all to sit on. Several knights also came to take stock.  
"Ahh! You are having a picnic?" Alois yelled before Lysithea shushed him. "You will scare away all the fish!"

"I hear someone needs a bunch of fishes gutted?" Leonie appeared with a filleting knife. "Ah, good. Right here." Byleth turned around to hand her the bucket, but one of the resident cats had her teeth in one of the fishes tail.  
"Come, let go little one." Leonie pulled the purring cat off the fish before cutting off the tails and gutting the fish, throwing the nasty bits aside for the cats to eat. That sight alone nearly got Lysithea to throw up. 

"Got one-" Byleth groaned as he struggled with a particularly big example. "Someone have a scoop net?"

Flayn jumped up as if called and rushed to the rescue. "I shall catch it!"  
Before Byleth knew, the murmuring of voices had swelled behind him as far more people at sat down than just his own Golden Deer. Knights, Faculty staff and members of other houses all joined in, some, like Flayn, even grabbed a rod and helped out with the increasing demand for fish. 

With the sun setting even Seteth showed up to watch his sister fish. Finally, whilst most people were eating or had already finished, Claude lifted up the cat next to Byleth and sat down, placing the feline on his lap.  
"I think this is quite the success at organizing a monastery wide picnic." He grinned. Right then Byleth felt a tug and raised the rod with all his might, causing the fish to fly through the air.  
"Got it- sort of-" Claude laughed as he held the slippery slimy fish between his hands. Petra came to the rescue. 

"Professor you should come and have eatings as well." She offered. "I can be taking your place."

Feeling his arms tired he relented and handed the Brigidan his rod. "Thank you."  
"Come, we've saved one for you." Hilda grinned and waved. Together they moved to sit in a pair of chairs that were kept free for them. Only then did Byleth see that short of probably the Archbishop, the entire monastery was here. Sitting on the waterside or on the stairs, even on the ledge above. Three more people were fishing still, including the newest addition to his class, Flayn. Byleth noticed her fishing skills just about put everyone else's to shame.  
With a smile he took in the warmth of the miscellaneous banter and the copious laughing. The camaraderie between every single house.  
Edelgard sat beside Hubert and Dimitri, plate on her lap. Lorentz was locked in an amicable debate about chivalry with Ingrid and Ferdinand.  
Quietly he found Claude doing the same, just taking in the environment, Right until they both ended up staring. A laugh broke out, and Byleth couldn't help but smile.  
"Eat up Teach, your fish will get cold like this." The half-Almyran teased with a grin. 

Afterward he felt himself.. aglow, Wandering back to his room he made a stop at the greenhouse first. Basking in it's tranquil silence. 

Addendum: The kitchen was out of service. Caught some fish, Claude made a fire. Leonie and Raphael roasted fish. More people came, the fire was sized up, Flayn and others helped me catch fish. Dedue helped cook.  
Had an evening picnic with almost the entire monastery. I wonder if this is what happiness feels like. Or is this bliss? I do not know how to define it.  
It felt good.

"You can come out now." Byleth sighed, feeling tired but unable to sleep. Having seen just enough of a blurred shadow when he entered he walked deeper into the library and sat down, not feeling like searching. The library was dark enough during daytime, let alone way past midnight.

"Seteth has louder footfalls than you." Claude popped up over the railing, his braid dangling in the still air. 

Byleth just looked up before reaching out reading the title of the book that had been abandoned in post haste, left open on the desk.  
"Advanced military stratagems." Byleth again couldn't help his smile. "Not satisfied with my tutoring?" He asked, trying to properly mix a dose of levity into his voice. 

"Can't hurt to study some more, right?" He grinned as he made his way down. "I don't know about you, but I don't intend to lose the coming mock battle."

"Neither do I." Byleth went over the formulas and formations shown. "These are for far larger army sizes, however." He looked up to the other who sat down across of him. 

"Maybe, but I figure the basis’s gotta be the same."

Byleth shook his head. "Most of the times, but not always. For a fight such as the battle of the eagle and lion we need to focus on small scale stratagems to win. Also.." Byleth pointed to a marked page. 

"Fire attacks don't belong in mock battles." He spoke dryly, to which the other looked off with a fake display of regret. Earning him a stare. 

"Easy Teach, I am joking of course." The aspiring strategist had a laugh at his expense. "No poisons either." Byleth leveled a gaze at him. "We can win this without poisoning anyone."

"Can't hurt to have the options open?" He shrugged with an apologetic grin. 

"Not an option." Byleth frowned with a sigh. "I was planning to utilize speed most of all, to maneuver us in between the eagles and lions. Then take them on on this hill." He pointed to a spot on the ancient map of Grondor field.

This spurred a late night tactical debate between them, executed in whispers and muted voices to avoid drawing attention.  
"If we can just get there.." Claude murmured. "..then we can do it. Assuming we can survive being sandwiched by both houses."

Byleth nodded. "Let us get some sleep for now, before the morning starts to dawn. We can continue tomorrow night."

The other grinned. "Warming up to midnight library visits are we?"

"Just don't let Seteth catch you." Byleth smiled.. oddly easy. Perhaps because he was tired. 

"Same to you or he will go off on you not being a proper example and all that." Claude laughed. "Though, speaking of- I think he softened up to you a bit after we found Flayn."  
The other leaned on his elbow. 

Byleth nodded. "He cares for her very much." Then shook his head. "I don't get it however. Why Flayn?"

"Something about her crest being rare, I think" Claude shook his head before looking to him again. "By the way, Professor Hanneman was looking for you."

"He has been for months." Byleth admitted. "Father warned me of him."

"You should go and see him some day." Claude shrugged. "Honestly you can wield the sword of the creator, without a creststone. That has to mean something, and don't tell me you aren't curious. If anyone can find out it is the old man."

Byleth looked down, mulling it over. "Perhaps I will." Defying his father did not come easily, but Claude had a point. Whenever he had asked his father about anything regarding his past or the fact of him keeping Hanneman at bay, nothing insightful ever left the old mercenary's mouth. "Maybe it is time for me to find out."

The other just smiled. "Tomorrow then. "

Byleth got up and together they exited the chamber and snuck out to their respective rooms for a brief nap. 

Byleth almost wished he hadn't followed Claude's advice. The father of crestology's monologue was now bordering onto half an hour, after what had been two hours worth of searching.  
At first the device just hadn't functioned properly and the scholar thought he had discovered a new crest, only to find out what his contraption showed him was just a partial image. 

Now fully uncovered he couldn't stop chanting it's name, and how impossible or extremely rare it was for him to have such a crest. Byleth felt his ears ring.  
Yet despite the endless monologue, he did form a new set of questions to fire at his father. 

"The crest of flames." Byleth explained to Claude at their next late-night library strategy meeting.  
"Seriously? The crest of the king of liberation, Nemesis runs in your blood?" Claude asked before shaking his head. "That old man of yours likes his secrets as much as I do." 

"There has been no record of Nemesis's bloodline surviving." Byleth shook his head. "I will see what I can find out."

"Well, it explains your capability to wield the sword of the creator, at least." The other tried, but Byleth had already sunken into thought. 

"It just generated more questions that need answering." Byleth hummed as he opened the old map of Grondor field. 

"You will find the answers one of these days." The other winked. "For now let's try to find a good enough answer to win the battle of the eagle and lion.  
"Hmmh" Byleth nodded and turned to the map.

Hours were poured into the preparation of the oncoming mock battle, hundreds of stratagems were considered and thought out before being discarded again. Such was the reality of a mock battle, many stratagems were simply too ruthless or effective, risking permanent personal harm. To resort to that was poor form, to say the least.

Barring one time when the both of them had been forced to flee to the mezzanine, no one had found them yet. Now, the night before the battle they went over the plan one more time.  
"So you guide them up here, and I bring my group along the side.." Claude ran over the exercise again. 

"Then you execute the pincer from the north to finish the black eagles." Byleth nodded. "Whilst I lead them south and then east to nip the Lion's probable cavalry charge in the bud."

Both parties looked to one another with a calm certainty. "This is gonna work." The half-Almyran grinned. "It won't if we drop of exhaustion, however." Byleth smiled gentle. "We should get to bed."

"Yeah, though I doubt sleep will be as kind as to visit me in a timely manner." The other grinned. "But no harm in trying, I guess." He sprung up. Byleth followed suit, feeling a new kind of warmth taking hold in his chest. 

Only things did not play out exactly as they had planned on paper. 

Mist covered the battlefield. Cold dew covered the grass. The air was filled with an unusual chill for the time of year. Unease hung in the air, ramping up the nerves of all competitors, as well as his own. 

"Visibility is bad. Be cautious." Byleth frowned. "Knowing this land, I think the fog may lift the as the sun rises." Lorentz remarked. "My father and I have often visited count Bergliez." 

"In that case we must use it to our advantage." Byleth cast a look to Claude, who nodded. "Let's win this." 

The horns then beckoned the start of the mock battle, causing outcries across the vast field.  
Claude winked before setting out with Lysithea and Marianne in tow. The rest of the class followed Byleth across the bridge. Their goal being speed, to be the first to occupy the central hill and it's ballista. 

Only when they marched, or rather, ran, disaster struck as his voice failed to sound and Ignatz near ran into one of the blue lions. Shouting, or - well - meaning to shout he hissed a warning, but amidst the mist and the growing cacophony of battle his instructions remained unheard. Ignatz panicked and fired off his arrows at close range, however Ingrid managed to block the shots well, rendering the assault useless and his 'life' in peril as the cavalier charged out of the woods, lance primed. 

His mind shouted instructions that his voice failed to transmit, and in the vacuum of order, chaos rapidly overtook everything else. Ignatz panicked and scampered away running. Lorentz broke out of formation and into a charge. Leonie fired an arrow that went astray and hit the young golden deer noble in the shoulder. 

Screaming, his voice was muted and his chest began to clench as he saw Ignatz and Lorentz come dangerously close to being benched.  
Claude's plan would fail, Byleth realized. His friend would come up to Edelgard's flank with only three men and without any element of surprise. 

Then his chest ached, and two hard throbs surged through his whole body. Like a heartbeat..  
His vision went haywire and a fierce headache set in, a burning sensation followed that quickly surged throughout his entire body. Panic followed the unknown sensation, causing him to sink through his legs and lean upon the damp earth. 

A pause of quiet followed, where all sounds drowned out to the background. His eyes sorted out what they were seeing in between the surges of pain in his head. Until finally he was left with ...something.

He saw the world from a perspective not of his own, but from high above. He saw one by one how familiar faces stood near him. Golden deer and Blue lions, Black Eagle's and even Claude's party came into view. Shakily the pain subsided and he stood up once again. Now seeing the surprised faces of the Golden Deer next to him. 

"Professor?" Ignatz asked, stunned. 

"I-" Byleth stammered a moment before his mind's eye showed him how close Claude's party came to their ambush point. Jeralt's words flowed through his head yet again, and he cast aside all questions. 

"Ignatz use a vulnary and move up, Hilda push forward and cut through. Lorentz, Vulnary and take on Bernadetta on the ballista with your lance. Approach fast." He broke into a run and directed the rest to follow him, dishing out orders. 

"Claude, hold for now, we aren't in position yet."

"What the-" He faintly heard Claude’s voice as well as a muttered cry of surprise from Ignatz. 

"Professor? Claude.. cannot hear you from here..." The young aspiring knight commented. For a moment Byleth granted that some thought, but when he gazed inwards again he saw Claude had come to a stop, hiding behind several thickets of foliage with Marianne and Lysithea. 

Foregoing the mental meltdown that would be the result of trying to understand what was happening, Byleth pushed everyone forward and onto the central hill. The flour loaded ballista was operated by Ignatz whilst Lorentz and Raphael began a coordinated assault on the first ranks of the black eagles. Byleth's voice still stung in his throat but somehow everyone was hearing him clearly.. even from across the battlefield. 

"Lysithea, watch out for enemy cavalry from the north-" He warned whilst he cast both his inward and outward gaze across the battlefield. "Leonie, fire your arrows at Dedue then Hilda you finish him."  
"Alright but don't get used to this-" The goneril noble charged in.

"Got him!" Raphael yelled whilst Lorentz was still duking it out with Dorothea. 

"We are in position, black eagles are engaged." Byleth addressed Claude with a hissing voice, broken by overuse.  
As his mind's eye showed him, he saw Claude charge from beyond the thicket, tearing down Hubert's hastily thrown up magical defence with a rain of arrows, followed by an axe. Then Lysithea shot past him and hurled a lance of black magic towards Edelgard. A single arrow shot past the Ordelia before firmly punching the future Adrestian emperor in the chest before bouncing off and falling the ground. 

Seeing the events happen, both with his mind's eye and his actual eyes, Byleth felt a cold fear creep through him as he wondered just what this power was capable of. But an expertly executed cavalry charge ripped him from his meanderings. 

Shouting orders on a hoarse broken voice he charged Felix head on, crossing blades and sending sparks out in every direction. Having opted to fight using conventional weaponry he left the creator's sword safely in its scabbard. Felix however, was a force to be reckoned with, skilled well beyond his peers. Byleth threw his full ability into the fight, ramming the blade against the other's to test his grip before switching his strategy to speed. 

As he fought he still saw the events of battle take place behind his eyes, and when victory was finally achieved he ordered all of them ahead, in a coordinated charge towards Dimitri's last stand.  
Not even the heir apparent of the Faergus kingdom could stand against the raw power of Raphael, paired with the lance of Lorentz. 

Panting harshly the prince offered his surrender, after which Byleth wasn't sure anymore what all happened. 

Gasping for breath and dealing with a dragon of a headache he sat down against one of the trees in Grondor field. Wiping the sweat away whilst his class was celebrating their victory together with all other participants. 

"Teach?" Someone called, but Byleth's voice answered only on a whisper. 

"Teach?!" Claude's voice resounded closer now, until the half-Almyran popped up from behind a tree. "Teach!" He broke into a run and knelt beside him. "Are you okay? You don't look very well-"  
Byleth shook his head. 

"Guys over here!" He called and placed his hand on his shoulder.

A soothing feeling finally seemed to drive off the worst of his growing dizziness and his thundering headache.  
"-maybe cast it again?" He heard soft mumbling while keeping his eyes shut.  
Exhausted he finally looked up, finding his golden deer around him.

"We won?" He asked softly, on a broken voice.

For a moment everyone stared at one another before Ignatz grinned. "We did, Professor."

He found a soft smile. "Good." 

"Shouldn't you be feasting with them?" Byleth asked softly, sitting down on a bench under the star-filled sky.  
"Nah, they will get on without me." Claude spoke with a smile that didn't touch his eyes. 

"What happened back there?" He asked, choosing to drop his mask and display his worry.

"I.. don't know. I don't understand it fully myself." Byleth spoke softly. “It was as if I could see the whole battlefield, stretched out before me. I saw you coming from the north, we were delayed because-.. my voice gave out.” He seemed to realize. "Then my chest cramped and convulsed, and I saw.  
I told you to stop, and somehow.."

"Somehow I heard you. It was as if suddenly I could feel your hand on my shoulder." Claude shook his head, looking worried. "I mean, I am grateful you stopped me or Edelgard would have had us for breakfast but.."

"..I don't understand either." Byleth sighed and closed his eyes. "I need to speak with my father about this."

"I'd try professor Hanneman too, if I were you." Claude spoke and squeezed his shoulder. "Whatever it was you did, it took a toll on you."

Byleth nodded before looking up. "Go and feast with them, I will see if I can find them, or else get some rest."

"Mmh." He frowned worried. "Just be carefull, alright?"

His father let out a deep, weary sigh.  
"I had hoped to spare you that life." The old mercenary shook his head. "But I guess there is no turning back time now, is there." He crossed his arms before resolving to head on a walk. Byleth followed with a frown.

"Just how much did you hide from me, Father?" He wondered, his voice still stubbornly hoarse. "I seem to bear a crest. The crest of flames, borne by the king of liberation?" He asked with fervor, despite his voice and his aching body. 

"It’s a long story kid. All I can tell you is that you are better off not using those powers. I've kept it from you for a reason." The old mercenary paused and met Byleth's gaze.  
"How did I get this crest?" Byleth asked, foregoing his usually meek acceptance of whatever his father told him. 

Jeralt sighed a pained and weary sigh. "The power you saw is tied to the crest you bear, and the reason why Nemesis was such an effective conqueror." Jeralt finally relented a smidge of information. "It is also called the eye of the tactician, among other names."

“How do you know all this?” Byleth wondered. Jeralt however now turned away, gesturing with a single hand that the conversation was over.  
“Father!” Byleth tried to yell, inciting a sharp pain in his throat, but it was to no avail as the man ignored him and walked on, leaving Byleth alone in the darkness.

"My, he does not fancy giving proper and clear answers, does he? Then again he never was the type to do so in the first place." That familiar green-haired girl from his dreams appeared. This time the headache that came with it was only a mild one. 

"And you!" She crossed her arms. "How much longer will you need to grow used to my presence? Why must you look so pained whenever I wish to say something?"

"Because you hurt my head-" Byleth sighed as he closed his eyes and set off on a walk. "You are a specter of my dreams, you only appear when I am deeply tired."

"Tsk, how rude!" She admonished. "I have been very considerate of late, it is time for you to let go of your headaches and accept that me gracing you with my presence is an honor! I cannot very much help it after all, being stuck inside you." She sighed after her little outbreak.  
"I do ever wonder how that came to be.. Nevertheless, I must commend you for finally grasping the obvious." She smiled. "You and I will get along nicely, and until you are competent on your own I will simply have to guide you~!" She smiled proudly. 

Now thoroughly confused as to why this hallucination had seemingly taken a shine to him, Byleth gave up and headed for his room.  
"I am going to bed." He told her, causing the green-haired maiden to yawn as well. It didn't take long for her to disappear afterward. Byleth considered writing in his diary for a moment, before finally settling on crashing into his bed. 

**5th of the Red Wolf moon, Thunderstorm.**

_My hallucination has given herself a name. She has been more active than ever before, ever since the battle of the eagle and lion-.._

Byleth gazed at his entry before ripping it out and throwing it into the hearth. 

_I have been tired, but am recovering. Claude and I have been looking into the crest of flames and it's alluded ability, the eye of the tactician. Sparse mentions exist, all pertaining to Nemesis. No genealogical records of him exist, however. So the mystery of how I got my crest is unsolvable at this time. Even Professor Hanneman doesn't know. My father refuses to speak of the subject further, and has been off to a lengthy mission for a while now._  
Remire village. The place is stricken with an affliction of some kind. We need to look into it. It doesn't sound good.  
I aim to test it further when I have recovered more of my energy. 

Well past midnight, the storm raged. The thunder echoed in the halls, shivering the glass panes in the windows. Only when he turned into the library did the sound muffle.

"Hiya teach!" 

Weary but glad to see his friend he smiled. "Have you forgotten my name already?"

Claude laughed easy. "Hey, I gotta act respectfully." He shrugged. 

"Act?" Byleth wondered as he dumped some of the dinner he had saved on the table. 

Claude just winked before switching topics. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, but I will manage." Byleth sat down and took a piece of dried meat to chew on. "And you?"

"Ah, you know me. I am doing perfectly fine."

"On the outside, yes." Byleth cocked a brow. 

"True- well, I am mostly fine on the inside, just still worried about this whole mess back home. The last round table discussion didn't exactly end well."

Byleth shook his head as he listened, contend to just sit there and hear the half-Almyran talk. "Duke Gloucester is being a-.. well- an asshole." Claude's gaze focused internally as he thought. "Always so worried about his own position, and how he himself stands to benefit of something. Then there is the trouble at the border of house Goneril, not to mention my political enemies within house Riegan. Trust me when I tell you there are plenty of people who'd wish Judith never presented me as the next heir."

Byleth listened and gave a soft nod whilst chewing the salty and tough meat.  
"Are they still intent to overthrow your position?"

"Heh, give these guys any bastard child with green eyes and they will try and claim him to be more legitimate than me." Claude shook his head. "But they have yet to actually try anything more than just bitching about me." He smiled. "So I am not too worried yet. "

Byleth's gaze went far as he thought. "I don't think I've ever seen another with eyes like yours."  
"Yeah, I got my mother to thank for those." He laughed warmly. "Trust the Riegan blood to worm it's way through just about anything."

Byleth smiled softly. "Still miss Salisse?" 

The question seemed to throw him for a loop. Briefly, a silence reigned before the other looked up, now holding a piece of bread with gravy on it. 

"I never told you my father became king.. did I?"

Byleth's eyes must have given him away because the other suddenly looked somewhat guilty. "I'm sorry for keeping my cards so close to my chest, I think it kind of became a habit at some point.."

"Your father, he became a Khan of a region or.."

Surprised Claude looked up before shaking his head. "Yeah, he rules the Salisse region at the moment, he was a brother to the previous Khan, who ruled when we were there." He explained. "He opted to live a quiet life with my mother, rather than enduring the constant ridicule they would have if they'd lived in the citadel." 

"I see, that makes sense. Still I did not expect you to be of two royal lineages, Claude." Byleth wondered. 

"Yeah, well." The other looked away a moment before meeting his eyes again. "When I grew up I had quite a tumultuous youth, due to that." He scratched behind his neck for a moment before focussing his gaze on the wood-grain of the table. "Assaults, poisonings, assassinations.. it just was part of life for me back then. Being kidnapped by a bunch of slavers.. " He shrugged. "It's why I always like to keep my secrets... even from people I call my friends." He looked up with remorse in his eyes.

Byleth felt his chest squeeze and he reached out with his hand before shaking his head.  
"I understand, and I appreciate you trying to share your secrets, but you do not need to." Byleth let his emotions bleed into his voice as best as he could. "I trust you. You will tell me if there is something I need to know."

Claude looked up with a conflicted look in his eyes.  
"I wonder which god or goddess is taking pity on me for you to voice such trust in me." He attempted to laugh whilst overcome with emotions.  
"Thank you."

Byleth smiled. "You will tell me what I need to know, when it is the right time. I will tell you of the things I don't yet know, when I know them."  
Now a real laugh broke free, causing him to rub his first his eye. "Right, because we are both as transparent as a wall of bricks-" Now Byleth felt his chest jolt and his breath hitch as he actually laughed. 

Causing Claude to look at him as if he grew a second head.  
"I think that is the first time I ever heard you laugh." He spoke wondered. 

"This is laughing?" Byleth asked, still trying to stifle the odd motions of his chest, causing the other to chuckle, then laugh again. "Yep, it very much is!"

That night they both got caught by Seteth, when neither could stop laughing. When tears formed in their eyes, and Byleth wondered if the stomach ache was part of the whole jolly mess they had become.  
The stern advisor had sent them both off with a strong worded verbal reprimand. Yet neither of them regretted it for even a moment.

"We really ought to test that power of yours one of these days, professor." Lysithea noted as the class was off on another field expedition in preparation for their trip to Remire village.  
Byleth looked up with a question in his eyes that did not need voicing.  
"If you truly possess this power, it would be a risk to ignore it." The surprisingly wise young noble stated. "Lest you collapse again. If such a thing were to happen in Remire village..." She frowned, and Byleth had to conclude that this reasoning made more sense than his father's. He had been putting it off in order to properly gather his strength again. 

When the class arrived at the site where the bandits had been spotted, he gathered them around.  
"I need to ask you all a favor." Byleth met the eyes of everyone. "You remember the battle of the eagle and lion." He was answered with enthusiastic smiles and a sheen of pride humming in the air.  
"During that battle, and following its victory I have come to realize something. During the battle the power of my crest awoke. A crest I didn't know I possessed until then." Byleth sighed and took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"You want to ask us to see what it is capable of?" Claude asked whilst wearing an impossible grin.  
The wind taken out of his sails Byleth deflated and looked disheveled a moment before letting his captured breath escape in a sigh.  
"Yes, Claude."

"That little gimmick you pulled out of your sleeve got us the victory." Claude virtually took over and closed one eye in a wink. "You passed out on us after, but perhaps if we help you master this.. you may build up a stamina for it."  
Byleth nodded. "I will need all of your consent and help, however." Byleth finished the request.  
"What does your crest do, exactly?" Raphael asked. 

"It guides us in battle and save's Teach from needing to butcher his voice in order to steer us around the battlefield." Claude explained. "Even from far away."

"Really? You truly heard our professors command that day during the battle, Claude?" Lorentz asked, to which the half-Almyran nodded. "I did, and Teach saw I stopped too." He gazed back to Byleth, who then centered himself before speaking up.

"It allows me to see the battlefield as if from above. I can see all of you, and our enemies basic movements and armaments." Byleth explained. "But I need to know my limits with it, as well as just how far it will reach people."

"We can do that." Leonie offered. "I can just keep riding down hill and you can keep your eye on me, so to speak." She offered. 

"I can try and see how far up your reach is." Claude offered as he called his new Wyvern down from the skies. 

"How about numbers? The battle of the eagle and lion boasted many participants, perhaps it would be beneficial for you to practice with just the eight of us before attempting anything larger." Lorentz offered. 

To all suggestions Byleth nodded. "I am grateful you all are willing to help."

"Then let's get started~" Hilda grinned. "I will lounge right around here as a control~"

"And I will go wherever you ask me to, and have mock battles!" Raphael grinned.

"H-how about I try restorative magic?" Marianne near hid behind Hilda.

"I can show my Archery." Ignatz smiled whilst fumbling away a sketchbook.

Byleth shook his head with a smile. "Thank you, all of you. Lets try. But first I must try to invoke this power again." He looked around whilst his class gathered around him. 

Focusing his attention inward he reached for that same place he thought he had days ago, but it proved elusive to find. Time stretched on, and silence ruled amidst the students of the Golden Deer. The winds of the lower plains near Garreg Mach carried a warm southern wind.

Then suddenly every student saw a light as wave went out from their teacher and a warm sensation spread in the back of their heads.  
"Wow!" Hilda stumbled back a moment before looking up. "Did it work?" The others stared left and right, feeling for any significant change.

"I am connected to all of you." Byleth spoke softly, but just as loud in the student's heads. 

"This.. is a funny feeling-" Raphael spoke up. "But not necessarily a bad one.. it's kinda warm."  
"Yeah-" Lysithea answered softly. "Like you are beside me." She looked up before shooting into a blush and averting her gaze. 

"Can you hear my thoughts?" Leonie asked, to which Byleth shook his head.  
"I can see where you are and what weapon you wield." 

"Does it hurt?" Marianne asked softly, her healing magic equipped and at the ready.

Byleth shook his head. "It's different than before. ..easier."

"Where did Claude go-?" Lorentz wondered, to which instantly Byleth physically turned around and gazed upwards. 

"Claude, bank left." The class heard him talk, whilst staring up to the thirty meter up in the air wyvern rider... who banked left.

"Wowww..." Raphael grinned. "This is cool!" And ran off.

"Incredible." Lorentz looked surprised. "Can you speak with him?"

"Yes, I can hear him as well as he hears me."

"Command me, I wish to experience this myself." Lorentz nearly ordered. 

"Charge." Byleth spoke, then waited until the cavalier was well off beyond shouting distance. "Break off to the right and cut off Raphael."

The cavalier instead just came to a stop and stared in his direction, seemingly stunned.  
“Unbelievable..” Lorentz uttered.

Byleth felt himself getting into the swing of things and sent out everyone their first real set of orders, divvying them up in two teams before handing Lorentz control of one and guiding the other team against his in a dramatically faked mock battle. With the resources they had available, clear misses and arrowless drawn bows would have to do. 

Finishing that warm up, Byleth called them all back to the hill he was on, as well as calling their singular flier down from the skies. 

"How'd it go, feeling sleepy?" Claude asked as he redid his shoulder cape. 

"No, I am fine." Byleth shook his head to emphasize before eyeing everyone with a smile he couldn't contain. "Thank you all. How about we take on some actual enemies next?"  
That got the class rearing to go. 

"I've never heard of a crest having this kind of power." Lysithea spoke as everyone was doing a final check on their equipment and weaponry. "I've heard of nascent effects, as well as combat related powers. But this.."

"The fact that this crest originally belonging to Nemesis does allow for some speculation." Lorentz spoke up as he checked his mount. "The liberator king was famed for his combat prowess, as well as his strategic and tactical ability. You inheriting that blood, and his crest.. it would make sense for you to inherit these powers also."

"Maybe." Byleth spoke, but didn't care to ruminate on his crest's history at this moment. "All I know now is what it's effective reach is, as well as how to limit it." Byleth spoke up, causing a few of the others to cease their preparations to look up.

"I spotted the bandits whilst we practiced, tracking you." Byleth explained whilst looking at Claude. "I can limit the scope of my abilities, something I probably neglected to do during the battle of the eagle and lion." Byleth closed his eyes. "Hence the ensuing headache."

"Well, despite its limits it is a tremendously useful skill to have." Hilda noted. "My brother would adore the living daylight out of you if he had you in Fódlan's locket." She chuckled. "Seeing the Almyrans come before anyone else can."

Byleth looked at her a moment before shaking his head. "I do not believe using it that way would be wise." He closed his eyes. "I am not dropping down unconscious now, true. But it definitely claims my energy." Byleth explained.

"So, brief, intense use is better than long surveillance, is what you are saying." Claude figured, to which Byleth nodded. "I believe so."

"Well, enough debate. We're ready Teach." Claude grinned. "Let's go and surprise us some bandits."

"That was amazing!" Ignatz grinned from ear to ear when the last one fell. "They had nowhere to go!"

"We cornered them pretty good, yes." Lorentz grinned content. "All thanks to your guidance, professor." The noble credited. Byleth just shook his head. "Well done, all of you."

"You aren't in pain, I hope?" Marianne asked soft-spokenly. Byleth shook his head. "I am alright, merely tired." He cleaned his blade before looking over the rest of his class.

"It is amazing. Still, you shouldn't overdo it professor, or captain Jeralt would grow worried for you." Leonie spoke as she unstrung her good bow. 

With the whole class mumbling peacefully Byleth eyed the suspiciously silent half-Almyran, who was feeding his new Wyvern a snack. "I know what you wanna say, later, okay?" The other winked with a smile that didn't exactly reach his eyes. Byleth assented quietly with a nod. 

"You are getting along better with your wyvern, aren't you?"  
Surprised for a moment Claude switched over into student mode without a hitch before answering. "I think he's warming up to me yeah, but he really doesn't like to be woken up." He chuckled. "I'll bribe him eventually."

"You should give him a name." Byleth suggested, which got Claude thinking. "Hmmh, good one Teach."  
Leaving the wyvern rider in peace after that he guided his students back up the mountain towards the monastery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again everyone, thank you very much for reading! 
> 
> Enter the game mechanics, I hope I did it in a little bit of a believable way. Trying to marry game mechanics to fanfics is a bit of a challenge. (Especially when these mechanics include time travel) So I tried to come up with some creative ways of using them without overpowering the MC. EventhoughheisquiteOPincanon. Ah well, it's my best shot, I hope you liked it! One chapter remains for this part, part 3 is in the process of being written. (I think there will be four parts in total if I ever get this done xux)
> 
> Author's tibbid of the day:  
The eye of the strategist, maybe a little bit of lame name, sorry for that! But it felt right to use the game mechanism like this. Byleth can speak to, and hear other character's replies, as well as have a basic overview of the battlefield. I am not including the absolute certainty the game gives on wether you can finish off that mage in one hit or not cuz plotty reasons~   
Also, I am thinking of making an expanded map of Almyra.. only I never drew maps before..


	5. Part 2 - Chapter 3

**3rd of the Ethereal moon, Snowfall.**

_Remire was.. a disaster as well as a revelation. Intruders have infiltrated the monastery's ranks. Tomas was a man named Solon, he was in Remire and responsible for what happened. There was no sickness. This was dark magic. Everyone is shaken, if not worse.  
Crazed villagers, needless death. Haven't slept soundly yet. _

Byleth hovered over his diary in the privacy of the near empty library.  
"You think it counts to write a diary entry of yesterday in the new night?" Claude wondered as he looked up from his book. Byleth didn't grace that with an answer, instead opting to fan the ink dry. 

"Considering the times- yeah, why not." Claude answered his own question. "With librarians turning out to be ..well, whatever that Solon was. Writing overdue entries in a diary is hardly a crime." He sighed, looking disturbed himself, too.

"Whatever he was attempting, I doubt this is the last we will see of it." Byleth mentioned gently. "We need to figure out what is going on."

"Agreed." Claude absentmindedly took a bite out of a saved piece of dried meat. "More death will follow if we don't. But to be perfectly honest-" He looked up worried. "-this scares me." He put down his book to lean on the table they both sat on. "Human experimentation, dark magic." He shook his head. "How come Rhea never noticed anything? She's the archbishop after all. And somehow I cannot shake that all of this is connected. Lonato's rebellion, Miklan, the western church and the whole mess with the rite of rebirth this year." He shook his head. 

"I think so as well." Byleth spoke softly, in thought. "But whomever is responsible hides themselves well."

"The flame emperor." Claude ran the name past his lips. "Whomever he is, claimed not to have allowed what happened in Remire if they had they known." Claude frowned. "That means they are involved with Solon, in some manner. Then the death knight, who kidnapped Flayn..."

"I don't think we know enough to connect the dots just yet." Byleth shook his head. "What we do know is sparse and singular. Focused on crests, crest items and .. dark magic." Byleth spoke the words slowly. 

Claude nodded as he thought, arriving at the same conclusion.  
"We will just have to be on guard for anything." Claude closed his eyes before resigning himself back to his book. Only to look up once more. "What about this Monica? Kidnapped for almost a year, then comes back allegedly much happier than she ever was. " He realized, then frowned. 

"I have looked into her." Byleth shook his head. "Nothing came up, other than her sudden behavioral change."

"Strange. I don't have a good feeling about this Byleth." He frowned. 

"Neither do I." But then again there was only so much one could do without evidence, or, so he told himself.

"Professor!" Lysithea's shrill voice startled him worse than he'd care to admit. Through the darkness of the monastery the white haired noble shot to his side. "Ah, not that I am scared or anything- but- uhm." She stammered, sheet white. 

"I thought.. I-.. never mind." She flustered before nervously fiddling with her fingers. 

"What are you doing up so late?" Byleth wondered. 

"I forgot a book for my research.." She seemed out of it. 

She had darted straight into the library a couple of minutes earlier, causing both Claude and him to bolt upstairs to avoid a possible angry Seteth rant. Deciding afterward to head back to their respective dorms Byleth had ran into her, or rather Lysithea had ran into him  
.  
"I was wondering- not because I am scared- but if you could, maybe.. erm. Help me navigate my way back to my dorm..." She stammered, still sheet white. 

Byleth nodded before guiding her onward, but half-way through their trip he got a strange feeling. As if he was being watched. 

Turning on his heels, he accidentally scared the Ordelia noble, causing her to cry out. Distracting him long enough to almost miss spotting a flash of magic in the distance.  
Distraught he guided the girl back to her dorm before staking out near the greenhouse to keep watch.  
Something was wrong in the monastery, terribly wrong.

Yet with the student ball coming up, the moods of the students lifted and the stories of shadowy figures at night died down. Only Byleth himself couldn't quite let go of what he had seen. 

"You are behaving even more like a panther than usual." Hilda noted somewhere in the middle of the moon. "What's got to you professor? Pre ball jitters?" She grinned. 

Not wanting to worry her he simply shook his head. "Just make sure you are never out alone at night." He had been giving this warning for the better part of the moon, actually, ever since Remire. Secretly he knew Claude was now almost always armed during the normal schooldays, and he himself wore an easily accessible knife, as well as a concealed one. 

Yet, joy took over from paranoia as the days drew nearer and the white heron cup came up, which was won by Dorothea of the Blue Lions, incidentally. Hilda having placed third of all the houses wasn't stumped nor sad. 

All this time, Byleth found himself waiting. Waiting for something to happen. 

When the evening of the ball began, he had almost forgotten the time, he had to be present.  
He had hastily dressed in his formal academy garb before managing to get there just before the opening ceremony started.

By the time the dances began, and the students vied for attention from their favorite teachers and loved ones, he felt drained. Exhausted he stared at the dancing people, wondering offhandedly whether many students had returned home for a brief break or something.  
Barely able to keep his eyes open, he spotted Claude amongst the crowd, making his way towards him. 

"No miracle no one wants to dance with you Teach, you look like a wreck." He mused before boldly taking him by the hand and leading him onto the dance floor and into a dance. 

First shocked, his face then turned to surprised before settling on his usually stoic expression, until it ultimately switched into a smile. 

"You are impossible sometimes." He sighed, to which Claude replied with a proud grin. 

"I know, and I am proud of it!"

After three more dances and a dozen more invitations, Byleth finally escaped the hall, struggling to breathe. 

"You don't really change, do you? You mastered the art of social interactions quite well in the last moons, but when I see you now I just can't help but think back to the old days." He snickered.

"This is.. only marginally better than your fathers way of hugging." Byleth grumbled softly before casting his gaze up to the stars, finding the guiding star off to his left. 

"Yeah well, my old man is strong." The other chuckled as he spoke on a soft volume. "Time really does fly, huh?" He wondered as he stared to the stars as well. "We've been reunited for nine moons now, give or take." He crossed his arms. "The year is almost over."

Byleth felt a ripple of pain run through his chest on those words. "Nine moons. Three more until graduation.."

"Thought about where you will go from there?" Claude asked, his voice hiding his emotions.

"No." Byleth answered frank. He hadn't thought so far ahead yet, and doing so now made him uneasy in his gut. 

"You will be focusing on the Alliance.." He stated, but it bordered on a question. 

"Yep." Claude was about to let out a big sigh before inhaling sharply and turning his head. "Again-"

Byleth followed suit. "What?"

"Magic. I think. I saw it a few nights ago too, but I thought I was just tired. But now.."

"I saw it too." Byleth shook his head and set out. "Yesterday evening, near the dorms."  
The other frowned and followed Byleth, leading to a thorough search. 

"There. Look at all these people.." Claude wondered as he spotted a few students in the dark. "The ball is in full swing, who the hell is out here at this time of night.. save us that is." 

"We should call the knights." Byleth frowned before grasping for his sword. 

"No, wait. They are headed somewhere-" Claude stilled him with a gesture. "We should follow them, maybe we can find a clue as to what in ailell is going on."

Students, wandered in a group through the dark halls of the monastery until they all entered into one of the many store rooms. The pair followed them at a distance before opting to get onto the rooftops to follow their quarry.

Byleth braced himself and offered Claude a leg up to get on top of the structure before the other helped him up as well. There they both saw how the students used some sort of clandestine exit that led to an abandoned courtyard filled with ruins of old monastery buildings. 

"Garreg Mach is old, but I didn't expect this." Claude hissed in a whisper." Just what in the world are they up to-"

"Look." Byleth felt his heart go cold as one of his cartography students walked amongst the the others, adrenaline now rushing through his veins. 

"What in Ailell-" The other hissed as they watched. "I am granting you your 'I told you so'- we need to tell the knights about this." Claude admitted. 

Byleth just nodded before offering to help the other down. "Go and get them, quietly. I will keep watch from here."

Concerned, Claude accepted the suggestion and rushed off. 

A few minutes later discreet clanking of armor against the wall could be heard, when Byleth looked down he saw Alois helping Catherine a leg up and onto the roof.

Reporting to her about their findings, the experienced knight let out a curse. With Shamir joining them on the roof, the mercenary shooed them away. Allowing Byleth to get himself back down and ready for the mayhem that would inevitably follow.

Instead, a summons from the Archbishop arrived. 

"We need to attack immediately. We cannot risk the students coming to harm by whomever is influencing them. This will be a difficult and precarious battle." Byleth explained whilst getting himself ready for what was going to be a night raid on one of the church's abandoned chapels. 

"We will be receiving the full support of the knights, but seen as many have been sent off on other duties, the lion's share of the work will fall to us." Byleth steeled himself. "Gear up and prepare yourself. There is no telling what we will find in there."

His class stared back at him with a mix of determination and fear. It was the best he could hope for under these circumstances. 

"You still holding up?" Claude asked worried. Byleth just nodded. "I remember once walking two consecutive nights with someone through a desert with little to no food or water." He tried for dry humor, striking a bit of pay dirt with the half-Almyran. 

"Good enough for sass, I will take it." He clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Don't worry, you will have all of us backing you up."

"And I will help as well." A familiar, grizzled voice spoke up. His father, astride his old destrier approached. 

"Father.." Byleth glanced back to him. "Thank you."

"I will be leading the knights and serve as your backup. Story is you had a long day so don't be afraid to fall back and leave things to us."

Byleth again just nodded sheepishly before finding the courage to ask.  
"When this is over, I would like to speak with you if possible." He held the gaze of his old man, who looked pained for a moment. 

"Let's just make it through this first, kid."

Jeralt readied the knights as Byleth did the same with his students, then the chaos of battle broke loose.

Byleth drew upon his power smoothly and immediately limited the scope of his sight to just his students and their relevant enemies, which proved for an ugly surprise when the door was hacked open by Hilda. 

His adrenaline shot up, causing his chest to cramp.

"BACK!" He rose his voice without needing to, but the command came just in time for both Hilda and a couple of Seiros knights. A beam of crimson shot through the door and it's surrounding brickwork, melting it into slag. 

"Fall back three paces and into a defensive line! All non-magic resistant units four steps back!" He pushed himself to the front as a massive beast wormed its way through the remains of the door-gap and lunged at Hilda, who only just managed to dive away, taking a few scratches up her arm. 

"Ignatz, Leonie- fire!" He struggled to find his calm, but reaching deeply for it he found himself settling down. "Lysithea give that thing all you've got."

"Professor are these students- like Miklan was-" Hilda panted but held her ground.  
"No time to think of that now." Byleth answered and followed up with instructions to take the beast down. But as soon as it fell a second and third took its place, and mere arrows and magic weren't enough anymore. 

Throwing himself into the fray with his relic he inflicted a sizable chunk of damage before needing to move to avoid the oncoming blast of magic. Only to realize too late that by dodging the magic, it would hit Raphael instead. Panic began to grow as his mind raced to compile the consequences of such a hit- for as strong as the man was- he was horrible defending against magic. A strange warping sensation began to take place until right before the final hit would land Claude swooped down before abandoning his wyvern and finishing the thing off with a mighty hew of his axe. 

The world seemed to right itself and the flow of time seemed to resume normally again, causing him to forgo thinking of whatever that weird sensation was. The battle at hand was more pressing, and far more difficult than he could have anticipated. 

Ultimately three knights of Seiros took injuries so heavily they had to be carried off the field, and he himself took a bad gash on his upper leg, crippling him for the rest of the battle. 

Nevertheless, whilst clutching his leg to stop the bleeding he kept issuing commands to finish the beasts off. Utilizing his students one by one to cut the beasts down.

"Lorentz, use your spear and hit him from the left flank, Lysithea use your magic then Ignatz, finish him with your arrow. Claude, target the next one." He gasped as his head began to become light. Then an aura of magic hit him as Marianne had managed to reach him with her long range magic. 

"Thank you-" he gasped before charging again and forcing the beast back into the ruined chapel and dealing it it's final blow. 

"Everyone, forward!" He issued. Lorentz who wielded a torch in his off hand threw the thing into the darkened dilapidated room, revealing a stack of bodies who all looked to be wearing academy outfits.

Marianne fell to her knees with a scream and Ignatz hurled out his insides, leaving Byleth no chance but to charge in to cover them.

"If you can still fight, join me. If you cannot get out and behind the line of knights-" He gasped, tasting the stench of rot in the air. 

"I'm with you-" He heard from his left, recognizing Claude's voice. 

"With you-" Lorentz looked grizzled and nauseated but stood surprisingly firm. Even without his steed. 

"Right here!" Leonie stood fierce, her bow at the ready on the other side of the room.  
"Here-" Byleth's gut twisted as he looked behind him and saw Flayn with an expression he had never seen on her before. 

"Raphael, keep the defensive line of the knights outside. The rest of you, with me!"  
Pushing on beyond the corpses he heard shuffling in the other room, but saw no enemies with his mind's eye. 

"They are blocking me-" He realized with clarity before knocking open the door and switching back to his instincts. A whole cadre of strange looking mages stood ready to welcome him, spells rearing to go. Again time seemed to malform before a shard of pure holy magic smashed its way through the walls, having come from a petrified but extremely brave Marianne. It threw them off just long enough for Byleth to reach the first one before Claude and Leonie shot numbers two and three. Then Lorentz skewered the fourth before any shot could be made.

Only the last one got his shot off, dark, sickening magic hurled towards Byleth and slammed him against the wall before trying to worm itself through his armor with an acid bite. 

Right when Flayn's magic ended the man with two hits, Byleth felt the sting of the magic pierce his skin. With eyes that seemed so unlike her own, she turned around and cast a restorative spell on him that took the sting away, allowing him to breathe again. 

Relieved he gasped in the dry and stale air before moving on.

"Kid- Byleth!" A voice called him from the central chamber, the voice belonging to his father. 

"Yes father-?" He gasped as he caught his breath. 

"Is everything clear back there?" The paladin asked.

He nodded before he spotted a shadow crawl from the pile of bodies behind his father. 

Again the world rocked to the left, now far stronger than before, inducing nausea and making him want to vomit. 

"Kid?- You oka-" 

A soft, wet sound was heard, as well as a gasp. Then a tiny, malicious laugh. 

"Meddlesome, meddlesome, meddlesome." Monica popped up from behind his father, holding a sword that she had skewered straight through him. 

Byleth froze, both understanding and failing to understand what happened, all at the same time. 

"You are all so meddlesome" She grinned in a sick, lopsided way, before vanishing when Alois stormed forward to hew her in two. 

Slowly, Jeralt fell to his knees. Byleth fought himself to be able to move, but it seemed as if his body simply wasn't listening. His face was frozen in shock.

"Well-" Jeralt's raspy, now wet voice spoke up, finally releasing the spell that held Byleth in place. Rushing to his side he caught his father together with Alois as he sunk through his knees. 

"Father-.." Byleth shivered. 

"-looks like it's time for me to leave you now..." He grinned softly when Byleth moved over him. 

"What now.. tears.. really?" Jeralt looked up surprised, but Byleth didn't even notice the tears that fell from his face. "To think.. your first.. would be for me." He laughed before glancing up to him, then to Alois and Leonie.  
"Take care.. all of you.. Byleth-" He met Byleth's gaze one final time, before the light left his eyes. 

Somewhere beyond that point, Byleth had stopped functioning, needing Claude and Alois to help him back to his room. The rigor of his emotions was too much for him to process. Too much to handle. Too much to cope.

It was all just too much.

The hours seemed to flash by as if they were mere seconds, the sun rising and setting in what felt like less than a minute. His joints felt stiff, reluctant to move and his leg ached from where he was hit. The images just wouldn't leave his eyes, as if someone had painted them in life-like detail over his pupils. 

Somewhere faintly he recalled a few of his students bringing him a meal, it still sat untouched at the table. He recalled Seteth's calm, sorrowful words. An invitation of some kind, he hadn't registered anything at all. 

Time flew by, days turned to nights. Life went on without him, outside the walls of his room.  
Claude visited at some night, sitting beside him on his bed, where they had left him that very night. His voice wormed its way through his memories, through his maelstrom of thoughts, bearing comfort and companionship. Something he didn't know he needed until then.

When he was gone, the next morning, Byleth tested his legs. To see whether they would hold him. Nausea still churned in his gut. The world barely seemed to hold still before he fell back down again onto his bed.  
His hallucination showed herself, speaking words to him of comfort and peace. How real she looked..

Only when the evening arrived, now slower than before, did he finally manage to get himself to open the door. Chilly evening winds brought him some deeply craved fresh air, taking the stink that had clung to his lungs away. 

Wandering through the monastery alone, most of the students were off to eat, he found his feet taking him to his mother's grave. Where his father now rested, too. 

He stood there until the moon had climbed high into the sky and the night had revealed its stars. Wandering, he crossed the bridge to the cathedral before finding the hallowed halls empty of life. 

"Try to pray to this goddess the place is dedicated to." His hallucination offered with a consoling expression. "You need to vent your emotions, one way or another."  
"Hm.." Byleth stared ahead, to the dim lunar lit pane of stained-glass. 

"Sothis.." He wondered as he saw in the multicolored art piece something familiar staring back at him. 

She looked up with widened eyes before noticing someone approach, and vanishing like the hallucination she was.

"Ordinarily, I would warn you not to take the name of the goddess in vain, but seeing the circumstances, I believe it justified for this once." A soft-spoken, divine voice came from behind. Turning around, he found Rhea standing behind him with a tender smile. 

Voiceless, he mouthed the name his hallucination had given herself.. the same name of the goddess of Fodlan.

"How are you my dear professor? I am glad to see you out of your quarters again." The archbishop admitted with a gracious smile. 

Resolving on a nod, he closed his eyes and did just that. All the while his hallucination freaked out inside his head.

"The goddess will give salvation to all who ask her for it and uphold her commands." The archbishop smiled. "You will fight your way through this difficult time, Professor. I know it to be so."

Again Byleth just nodded before making a deep bow to excuse himself, choosing to leave the cathedral through the western exit. 

Staring at the goddess tower, Byleth let the force of this new discovery run through him, intermingling with his grief until finally, under a star filled sky he felt the ocean of his heart fall still once more. 

It's surface becoming mirror like as his emotions had run their course and settled for undulating the deeper waters below, instead of the storm they had caused before. 

"There, your prayer was heard." Sothis shook her head. "But I still do not understand. I am a goddess, but how come I am stuck within you?" She faced him, materializing into the air before him. "There are still so many mysteries, so many questions without answers." She shook her head, crossing her arms. "I will have to put my faith in you, I have no other choice." She sighed. "I have stilled your heart for now, though do not believe this to be a cure all for your grief. However, you need to think clearly right now in order to solve this small part of our big mystery, and since I would like to have the answers as well, I will help you find what you seek. To start, why not visit your father's room? He said he'd leave something for you to find."

His heart now finally quiet, his thoughts orderly once more, Byleth found no reason to oppose her council and set out, navigating through the milling students with their belly full of their meals.

Passing through the masses he made his way upstairs and to his father's old work-room.  
"There, behind the shelf is a space-" Sothis pointed, causing Byleth to move the bookcase aside and reach out to find his fingers resting on old but well oiled leather. The back of a book, more specifically -as he saw it- it was a diary. His father’s diary.

Hearing the ruckus of professors heading back to their offices and a multitude of people returning from their dinner, Byleth snuck out and made for the library, stealing a candle and sitting upstairs. 

Prying it open he found a letter, folded into the first page, sealed with wax and addressed to him. With a heart as heavy as lead, Byleth broke the seal and unfurled the letter, reading its contents. 

It was a parting letter. In case if anything ill befell him when he was away. It spoke of his love for him, as well as his regrets in where he felt he failed as a father. Almyra. 

"I should have done more. Every day since then, I have felt.. feel as if I failed you. I cannot bear bringing myself to speak of it to you."

Byleth felt his eyes grow damp. "There are many things I have found myself unable to speak of with you. Some of which you will find answers to in this diary of mine. Now you are reading this letter, and I am no more, I can no longer protect you either. Find out the truth, but know that there is no way back. No way to unlearn what you have learned. I do not blame you if you wish to remain in the dark. Burn this diary and letter if you do. There is no shame in it. Sometimes a truth can be far harder to bear than a lie, or an omission."  
Byleth read the rest of the letter before eagerly peeling the diary open and finding its first entry. Haven made the choice to the question his father posed a long time ago.

The earliest entries spoke of Jeralt's life before his birth, his courtship of a woman Byleth realized would bear him into this world.

Flipping ahead, skipping several months he found a distraught passage mentioning a child. "Too far-" He mumbled and skipped back to find the moment of his birth.

He expected it to be well documented, his father always kept precise and clear diary entries, down to the seasons and weather. But considering his birth he found frustratingly little, and what he found was concise and summarily written.  
Spurned onward he skipped further back and dove into his father's life, determined to discover what he could whilst trying to keep a rein on his emotions.

"Byleth.. You here..?" A questioning voice came from below several hours later. Byleth guessed it to be well past midnight now. He tore himself out of his search for answers to lean over the railing. Causing the other to smile with relief. 

"I was hoping you were here. I kind of broke into your room when no reply came and, well. I figured this is where you'd go." Claude made his way up the stairs. 

"What are you reading?" He stood behind him, to which Byleth let his head fall backwards to relieve his aching neck. 

"My father's diary."

Claude's face jumped to surprise before curiosity began a battle for dominance with concern. "Did you find anything?" Curiosity won out. 

Byleth sighed before nodding softly. "I did.."

"But?" Claude wondered as he sat down beside him, casting a glance to the diary.

"... I should have been dead." Byleth spoke quiet. "My date of birth is... unknown. It isn't as my father led me to believe." He frowned.

"Dead?!" Claude frowned with surprise.  
"Yes. According to this diary, if I read the clue's well, I.. died after birth. As did my mother." He met the green eyes of the shocked half-Almyran. 

"Then somehow the Archbishop managed to bring me back, but.. I was different. I scared my father. He escaped from Garreg Mach, faking his death during a fire in the monastery."  
Byleth explained, pointing out a passage. "He took me with him. Then left me... somewhere, or with someone. He doesn’t say." He frowned. "And I seem to have slept for a long time. The diary entries on me grow sparse after that, until he begins to speak of having me along, years later. To take me to Almyra." 

Byleth let the words fall before flipping back a few pages. 

"I had no heart beat. I still don't." He looked ahead, somewhere he felt afraid of how Claude would react. "I did not cry as a child, nor even as a baby. I just.. slept. He taught me dead." 

He finally carefully turned to see his friend, who looked horror-stricken before compassion formed on his face. 

"That.. is terrible." He shook his head. "I-.." 

"Now I understand why my father was so wary of her." Byleth spoke after a silence had fallen.

"Lady Rhea." Claude guessed accurately. Byleth just nodded. "She did something to me."

"Byleth.. do you think you could let me borrow this diary?" Claude asked. "I want to see if I can come to the same conclusion, and maybe answer a thing or two more."

Byleth thought it over before assenting with a nod. "All these answers only beget more questions."

"Thank you, they do, but we will find what we need one day." Claude spoke with heart before squeezing Byleth's shoulder. He pulled a true smile before sitting across of him on the table. 

"Heartbeat or no, once-dead or no, it changes nothing for me. You are still you."

Somewhere Byleth had known he wouldn't let it change his perspective of him, yet hearing the words spoken aloud felt reassuring. It calmed him more than he thought it would.

"Thank you, my friend." Byleth found a ghost of a smile as gratitude burned in his heart. 

"You just leave the complot-theories to me." Claude grinned. "Get some food in you, and some sleep, then come teach us again because we miss you and quite frankly need you back in our classroom."

His smile was gone but his inner peace swelled, filling his chest where the pain had previously rang so hollow. Quietly he gave a nod. "I will try."

The next day Byleth found it in himself to get ready and write a diary entry once again, yet before getting past the date and weather the school bells rang and a strong desire to head to class led to leaving his diary open, his entry never finished. 

"I thank you all for waiting for me." He opened and was greeted by happy and warm looks of a very supportive class. The lessons lacked his usual fervor, nor were as long as they used to be, but no one seemed to mind. His class told him of how professor Hanneman and professor Manuela had jumped in to help out. 

Alois had taken them along on routine patrols and helped them gain a deeper understanding of many things military. It left him humbled and deeply grateful to them.

Later on the day he took time to thank them before finding lady Rhea again to receive orders to just take it easy and recover. Even the usually so stern Seteth had spoken some deeply encouraging words to him.

"One never truly forgets. We shall not forget your father and all he has done for us. He will be praised in the annals of the holy church of Seiros. As well as in our own hearts. 

I.. regret having had such a negative opinion of you when you first arrived here." The man sighed softly. 

Byleth just shook his head. "You were doing what you had to do, to protect the archbishop and the students. My appointment as teacher, and the privilege of wielding the sword of the creator, both felt sudden to me. I understand your early skepticism."

Seteth sighed softly as they walked through the halls together. "It feels as if far more time has passed than a mere half a year." He frowned puzzled. "Nevertheless, you should be proud of your accomplishments here. Your students are doing well, now if only you and your house leader could stop frequenting the library at night." He glanced without any condemnation in his eyes. "I wonder why you encourage such behavior?"

"We are old friends." Byleth explained softly as they stood before the ravine that separated the cathedral from the main complex of the monastery. "In order to preserve order in class, we keep this a secret from the other students." Byleth wondered why he felt so free to admit this now, but there was no way back. "At night, in the library is the only time we can truly talk as friends."

"I see." Seteth seemed to consider this for a moment, before unwinding his crossed arms and turning to him. "In that case I understand. I won't permit it, but I suppose I won't need to check the library each night." He frowned. "If I catch him, however, you may tell him he can prepare to wash my wyvern as punishment." The male now spoke with a hint of a smile. 

"Thank you." Byleth felt a small smile grace his lips as well." I appreciate your concern."

Half a week later, Byleth called for a discussion session, out in the nearby fields of the town by Garreg Mach. It turned into a picnic when Raphael arrived with three big baskets of food, followed by Ignatz and Lorentz who brought tea for the whole class. Byleth had no complaints and for the first time since the death of his father, he felt the warmth of the class as vivid as he had before. 

Leonie was bickering with Lorentz whilst Raphael was eating. Lysithea was giving quite a course on confectionery to Marianne, without pretending to be interested in eating them at all. The only one with the guts to call her out on it was Claude, who was deliberately picking the nicest sweets out of the basket whilst enticing Lysithea to just give in and eat, too.

Hilda was speaking of her brother to Byleth in the meanwhile, discussing the reply she had to send and just how much work that would be. Seated all in the back, Ignatz was busy sketching the whole group. The chilled wind was stifled by the monastery at their back, they enjoyed the last of a southerly warm wind from the adrestia region, bearing sand of Morfis’ desert on its high altitude currents. The unique wind direction allowed for a substantially warmer autumn-near-winter than usual.

"We should do this again some day, like a reunion." Hilda grinned excited.  
"A reunion?" Lorentz and Lysithea turned around, soon the whole group followed, minus Ignatz who was still drawing them.

"Five years from now, then." Lorentz smiled. "During the millennial fest?" Leonie concluded. "Not a bad idea."

"What do you all say?" Claude grinned, beconing Ignatz over before repeating the proposition.

"The millennium festival of Garreg Mach." Byleth ran the thought through his mind. Having so strongly avoided any future planning, he wondered what to do before hearing most of his class agree to the idea. 

"You're gonna be there too right? Teach?" Claude winked.

Pausing a moment, he finally nodded as his heart decided. "I will."

"It's a promise!" Hilda grinned happily and the while class broke into a toast to set the agreement in proverbial stone.

**21st of the Guardian moon, Southern winds. **

_My father died the last day of the Ethereal moon. Stabbed by a student. I needed a long time to function again. A lot has happened. Too much to write here. _  
I read my father's diary. Only more questions arose.  
I made a promise to my class. I will see them here in Garreg Mach again, in five years.  
I am still recovering, I found father's ring tucked away in a leather envelope amongst his armor kit. Much needs doing. I have to keep going on. 

"Has anyone seen Claude today?" Byleth wondered as he eyed around the classroom, then to his empty seat.

"I don't know, I spoke him this morning, but he said he was busy-" Hilda shrugged. Byleth frowned.

"He said something about having found a clue as to where someone is." Lorentz detailed. "I believe he means Monica."

Byleth felt his chest jolt. "I see. In that case we cannot leave all alone. If he found her we may need to be ready to launch a rescue mission..." Thought took his words away.

"Or a mission of revenge." Leonie spoke darkly, Byleth couldn't say he disagreed with her.  
"Gear up. I will try to find him."

A brief round of questions later the gatekeeper told him he had seen Claude leave in the early morning. 

Activating his crest power he cast out his gaze, limiting himself to try to find only one person, skipping over the others, disregarding them until he finally found the half-Almyran all the way to the north-west of the monastery, up in a tree. 

A half an hour march later both he had his students rendezvoused with him and he got right to the point. 

"I saw her this early morning." Claude frowned. "I followed her until she entered the sealed forest." He shook his head. "No one has come or gone since then,"

Feeling a wave of heated emotions ripple through him, Byleth shook his head and tried his best to clear his mind. "The sealed forest.."

Claude looked puzzled for a moment. "This has to be a trap, probably to lure someone here. Perhaps.." He looked to his teacher, who now held a thunderous expression. 

"Trap or no, it doesn't matter. Having them so close to the monastery is a risk we cannot afford to take." Byleth said.

"Too bad lady Rhea's got the knights off to search." Ignatz mentioned, causing even more frowns. 

"How convenient, don't you think?" Claude offered, but Byleth's heart was set. 

"I will go. Stay here and protect the monastery, as well as each other." His grip clenched white around the grip of the sword of the creator. 

"Are you crazy?" Leonie called him out. "These people killed Jeralt! The strongest knight the order has ever known!"

"Even less reasons for me to risk all of you." Byleth spoke silently as he set out. 

"Teach!" Claude set in a pursuit, coming to a halt a good ten or so meters from the group. "They will kill you." He hissed, anger flickering on his face. "I didn't sneak after her to find you an excuse to die!"

A fire burning in his chest Byleth turned around, meeting the half-Almyran's eyes. "Says the one who went after the killer of my father on his own. What if she had seen you? What if you were caught?" He hissed back, shocking him into silence. 

Byleth just panted, uncertain of just where this fire and his sharp words came from. A pain blossomed in his chest as the other seemed to break through some invisible barrier and laid his hand on his shoulder. 

"I am sorry. But you have to listen to me my friend, going in there alone will be the death of you, and I am not ready to deal with losing my only friend in this world." Claude looked at him and did not let go. 

The pain in his chest grew worse as the ocean beneath which his feelings hid came back to life. His words slammed into him like the blows of a mace and the stabs of a spear, carving into him. 

Slowly he looked up to him, trying to sort out this multitude of feelings storming his chest as he did. Claude looked at him hopefully. 

"Then. What do we do?" Byleth asked, feeling his own mind misted and overturned. Unclear and unfit to decide over anyone other than himself. 

"We fall back." Claude whispered now as a bunch of curious students stared to the pair. "We tell Rhea and wait for the knights." Claude shifted his grip to his upper arm. "Then, we will rush in. When you have a clear head, we will all be there to back you up. Right?!" He asked the others, who suddenly pretended not to have been eavesdropping. 

"O-Ofcourse!" Hilda forced a smile whilst the rest now approached.

"We will always stand with you professor." Ignatz sulked softly. 

"You can believe in me." Lysithea nodded solemnly. 

"We will get our vengeance." Leonie concluded amidst many other testimonies of support.  
"You aren't alone in this, either." Claude finished, letting go of him as he held his gaze.  
Byleth let his eyes rove around the group before finding a shard of his peace and following them back to the monastery. A small and dilapidated stone path stretched ahead that led back to the monastery grounds. 

Suddenly, Lysithea stiffened in her stride, before yelling on a commanding voice for everyone to get down. Following suit, a reeling impact slammed against the side of the path, blasting a hole into it the size of an average storm ram. Screams followed as additional tremors shook the ground. 

Casting his gaze around, Byleth saw the remnants and smelled the stink of dark magic all around them. 

"We are under attack-! Back off towards the forest, they will pin us here!" He issued, helping Marianne and Lorentz ahead before closing the rear with Lysithea. 

"Damn- they must have spotted us-" Leonie cussed as she strung her bow and readied herself. 

"Claude, call your wyvern and inform the knights." Byleth spoke after murmuring a muted prayer to the goddess. 

"Well, because you are asking so nicely-" Sothis huffed. "You idiot- getting caught like this. Keep your wits about and guide your little one's well." She encouraged as Byleth found the desperately craved stillness take hold of him. 

"I'm on it- don't chase them in too fast, there is no telling what surprises they may have." Claude warned as he whistled for his mount. 

So an arduous battle began, almost immediately he sent his students into the woods for cover. Utilizing his crest's power he cast his gaze into the woods, finding quite a number of enemies lying in wait. 

"And who knows how many more are shielding themselves from my view-" He hissed softly as he frowned and cast his gaze further, finding Monica on a central open spot in the woods. 

Strange, looming shadows that he nearly mistook for awkward rock formations jutted out of the soil. Yet as he found his eyes drawn to them, he found they were something else entirely.  
Ancient metal.. dolls?

Unnerved he ordered caution, holding their positions as the first wave of enemies closed in. 

One by one his ranged pupils let fly their arrows, axes and magic, lighting up the ominously dark forest. Wielding his levin blade he sent a jolt of electricity towards a quick approaching heavy knight, stripping the life from his bones.  
Pushing further inward he led his class towards the first defensive line and then to the edge of a clearing in the woods. 

"Until here, hold your ground. We wait for Claude's return." He whispered as he sat behind a tree, observing the seemingly lost Monica loiter in the middle of the square with an impatient pace. A wave of nascent anger rushed through him. But he kept himself still, casting out his view back towards the monastery. 

"If you aren't coming out, I will just leave~" Monica shouted, her eyes roaming around the edge of the forest. "I can sense you hiding like cute little rats." She chuckled. 

"Look beyond-.." Sothis popped up next to him. "See that stone set into the wall." She pointed, after which Byleth glanced around the tree.

"It bears an inscription of your crest. Of our-.. Hmm.." She sunk into thought. "I wonder what it could mean."

"This isn't the time." Byleth whispered, earning an annoyed look from Sothis for a moment, before it turned into a sulk. "Oh, fine."

Still, it did strike Byleth as odd for such a place to exist. Surrounded by strange automata and an uncanny darkness.  
Suddenly a soft flash lit up behind his eyes, indicating the arrival of one he had linked with, in this case it was Claude, as well as several others. 

"We are in position at the southern edge of the opening in the canopy." Byleth held his breath and counted as his friend flew in closer, then released his breath and stepped from behind the tree.

"I am engaging Monica, follow on my back and be ready to strike-" He broke from the treeline, now with the sword of the creator in hand.

"There you are, I was starting to get bored.” She looked up with a predatory grin. 

“This girl is just a borrowed look. My real name is Kronya~" She grinned that same sick lopsided grin before shifting her form. "Meddlesome man, you will follow the same fate as your precious little papi~" She grinned.

Deep black replaced where her eye whites should be, sending a strange kind of shiver through Byleth as he readied himself. He charged with a battle cry before unleashing the blade, extending it before whirling it about to strike her. Yet she was faster than him and dodged in between the line of blades twice before unsheathing her own blade and swiping it in a vertical arc.

Byleth jumped sideways just in time to avoid her and reeled his blade back in before it would accidentally strike one of his incoming students. Hilda arrived simultaneously with Lorentz, executing an impressive double attack together which forced the woman back and into Byleth's short range. Jumping to avoid both a shadow swooped in from above and an axe clipped her in her side. 

"Teach I brought aerial reinforcements! The rest is on the way the long way around-" Claude yelled as he gained altitude again to avoid a bolt of vengeful magic. 

"Good work-" Byleth took a deep breath before bolting forward again, his blade humming red orange in his grip. 

"Professor!" Ignatz yelled in warning, on the last moment Byleth leapt sideways to avoid the shot, causing it to hit the woman straight in between her shoulder blades. She let out a horrible cry before Byleth finally struck true, ripping into her chest with a downward strike. She fell back and clamored to create some distance. 

"Be on your guard-" Byleth issued as he set off in pursuit. "-cornered beasts are ferocious." 

He brought his blade down low and chased her onto an ancient stone platform. The very moment his foot struck the ancient stone however, he felt something inherently wrong. Behind him a magical barrier snapped shut and Solon appeared in between him and the wounded Kronya.

Bearing his teeth in a scowl Byleth poised himself at the ready whilst hearing distant cries of alarm and shock.

His mind's eye faltered in its sight, causing him to look from the right to the left to see whether his students were safe. Yet the barrier muddled his sight. 

"Alas, your time has come, Fell Star." Solon had helped Kronya up, only to pierce his hand into her chest cavity, holding her up by her heart. She screamed an ear-piercing scream as magic lit up all around him, causing his chest to squeeze in cramp.  
Stressed he tested the barrier, finding himself thrown back towards the center. 

"I will banish you once and for all, Fell Star. Behold, the forbidden spell of Zahras!" 

He invoked something and Byleth felt himself reel as his world again took a sharp left turn, bouncing back the other way. Nauseated he tried to stay on his feet, only to look up into the gaping maw of a magic so powerful he felt his adrenaline spike all throughout.

With a deafening roar it swallowed him whole, casting him into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.  
By now I have finished the CF route too! Only one more to go (SS! Come here Seteth!) As for the story, I am busy writing part 3 and deciding on a possible part 4 or not. Ah, so many choices to make!
> 
> Author Tibbid of the day:  
The sealed forest has always drawn my eye. I don't yet know if I will find an explanation for that crest stone there, or what battle was fought there. I wonder if we will see more of it in game after some DLC has been added. Incorporating what I've learnt during the different routes in this story is a fun challenge. Most of the new information I have no trouble fitting in. Only the surprise at the end of CF is something I still need to weave a web for, but there is plenty of time to do just that.  
Claude and his parents taught Byleth to like spicy food whilst in Salisse. Byleth can now eat surprisingly hot food with a stoic face, only he will still get all red in his face. Someone may or may not have called him out on that before.  
Sorry I am a little tired. I love you all <3 Thank you for your pointers on my grammar Steve the lovely ice-cube <3 I appreciate it. One never stops learning!


	6. Part 2 - Chapter 4

There was nothing but absolute darkness in every single direction. No light nor sound no smell nor touch brushed by his senses.  
The place where he had found himself in was a vacuum of existence, a world apart from his own reality. No matter what he tried, or how much he focused, nothing but thoughts came into existence. He could feel nothing but his own clothing, his own damaged armor, and cold skin.

The sound of rushing blood grew louder and louder, to the point where hearing himself swallow was as loud as a clap of thunder. The breaths he took sounded like a saw, sawing through a tree.  
Throughout this vacuum, his thoughts grew louder and more prominent as a sense of helplessness filled his chest. 

"Have I died?.. is this what death is like?" He looked about, wondering whether he had spoken aloud or merely thought the words into existence.  
Staring ahead he thought and replayed the last moments that had taken place before ending up in this dark version of Ailell. 

The wave of nauseating magic that had wrapped around him, the words of that man calling himself Solon.  
His chest ached as he came to the same conclusion again and again, no matter how often he asked himself the same question.

"I fell into their trap..." He shook his head, his eyes squeezing together. "I have been so foolish." He squeezed his hands into fists if only to feel the strain of his muscles burn.  
Looking upwards, into the same absolute darkness he parted his lips before closing them again. His mind racing in the absence of everything else. 

"My chest hurt- but it was different from before." His face was drawn into a puzzled expression. "What was it that I was feeling..?" He wondered as he analyzed how they were stuck in the sealed forest in the first place. 

"I-.. was I angry?" He realized after replaying the events yet again. "I.. was so blinded by it..." He shook his head. "So blinded and surprised.. I didn't react in time when Solon-..." He left the end of that sentence unspoken.  
"Because of that.." The slow-dawning realization of his entrapment began to reveal itself, causing him to cramp into a ball as a piercing pain rippled through his chest. It was as if a serrated sword was sawing through his bones.  
Gasping he grasped his chest, behind which his heart remained, unbeating. 

"Claude.."

The name brought with it a flood of memories that near drowned the pain. Sweeping him along through another journey through the desert, followed by a journey through the months at Garreg Mach.  
"What is this feeling?!" Byleth spoke with panic lining his voice, uncertain of whom he was calling out to.

Yet before he had finished his sentence, more images flowed. Of those short weeks in Salisse, of the many conversations they had in the library. Of his class during the battle of the eagle and lion. Of his father, mourning by a nameless grave.  
Byleth struggled against the tide of emotions that was rushing in and swallowing him whole, setting his chest aflame with emotions, cramps. Feelings he did not know the name to.  
"Help me-" He gasped whilst shiveringly floating through the darkness of Zahrass. 

A soft sigh resounded, unheard by anyone else. 

"That which you feel is regret." A gentle but neutral voice spoke. 

Byleth raised his head, gazing dead ahead to find his hallucination floating in front of him, her arms crossed.  
"Sothis-!" 

"Yes." She didn't look too pleased.

"How are you-" Byleth asked before his expression shifted, already having answered his own question.

Sothis frowned before unfurling her arms.  
"I am not some mere hallucination, you oaf!" She raised her voice to such a sharp note that it echoed into the nothingness. 

Shocked, Byleth's tongue was bound, as he had never called her that to her face, yet.

"Do not look at me like that! We share the same thoughts you fool! I know exactly that that is what you believed me to be." Her scowl turned to reveal her disappointment.  
"I had hoped you would come to accept my presence sooner than later, but it seems it was in vain. Look at where you landed us!" She raised her voice again. "What did you think you were doing, walking into a trap like that?!" She scolded, her cold emotions giving way to show how upset she truly was. 

Her sadness and disappointment weren't lost on Byleth as he underwent her scolding, causing himself to reflect back, and surprisingly found his memories of her to reach back all the way to their journey in Almyra.

"Then.. what are you?" Byleth asked, posing the question with as much care as he could.  
"I-.." The green-haired maiden paused before looking off.  
"I don't know." She finally admitted. "But I do know I live inside of you." She set her gaze at him again. "I have been since you were born." She shook her head. "Do you truly not remember?"

Byleth looked down, carefully considering his answer before speaking.  
"I remember seeing you in my dreams. Along with a great war." He shook his head. "You showed up when I was very tired, it always hurt my head.."

To this Sothis sighed, taking her arms out of her sides before floating closer. "I realize my presence is probably responsible for a lot of the things that you don't understand, but that is still no reason to call me a hallucination." She frowned, but the venom was out of her words now. 

"I am sorry." Byleth found the apology surfacing in his chest ever since her angry outburst.  
With a huff, she let her hard face fold into a softer one. 

"Good." She sulked still, but looked at him more readily, with less of a murdering stare, now.  
"Well, with that sorted out. Let's talk about you." She shook her head, ramping herself up to get angry again, so Byleth thought. But she deflated instead.  
"Your emotions got the better of you, didn't they? You need to learn to control them, for your own sake as well as for your little ones."

Feeling a flash of pain, Byleth lowered his gaze. "It's too late now." He sighed, and on a questioning look from Sothis, which also hid something else, he continued.  
"I.. think I was angry."

"You very much were." She confirmed before letting out another sigh. "You really are helpless with your feelings, aren't you?" She planted her hands in her sides again before gracing him with a smile.  
"I will have to help you, then." She nodded with eyes closed. 

Mystified for a moment, Byleth gave a muted nod. 

"You were angry because your friend risked himself." She clarified. "Claude going off on his own like that made you worried, and then angry." She explained, earning Byleth's full attention. 

"Then you went ahead and melodramatically tried to do everything on your own." She frowned. "Just as your friend tried, so he grew worried and angry as well. Then you two probably spoke too loud and were cut off from retreating as a result. It is as simple as that." She bore a hint of a smile.

Byleth shook his head. "I was a fool for trying to do things alone."

"Yes, you very much were." Sothis confirmed again. "But now you've accepted that, what did you learn from it?"

Looking up puzzled for a moment, Byleth spoke up. "To keep a reign on my emotions when in or near a battlefield?"

"Close enough." She shook her head with a smile. 

"Still, it is a lesson learned too late." Byleth spoke, his eyes drifting into the darkness as his expression fell.

Sothis let out a sigh again. "We are not without hope just yet." She turned to face the other. "I do not remember much, not even how I came to be inside of you. But I do know one thing.  
My name is Sothis, and that being the same name of the goddess of this world is no coincidence." She floated above Byleth.

"The power you use, be it conscious or not, comes from me. The crest of flames is my crest. So to speak." She explained. 

"The eye of the strategist?"

"You people have to give everything a name, don't you-" She laughed. "-but yes, that too, comes from me."

Stunned by the revelation, Byleth looked up. 

Sothis smiled gently now. "Like I said, I don't know how It came to be for me to live inside of you, but I have to say, what I have all seen was an interesting experience."

"You see everything?" Byleth asked. 

"Mhmh-" She nodded. "Hear everything, too. Our thoughts are as one, I know exactly what it is you feel." She closed her eyes. "Right now, there is nothing you want more than to protect your little ones." Her green eyes opened but a centimeter from his own. 

"In order to make that wish a reality, you and I will need to grow much closer than we are now, or else your body won't be able to handle the strain."

Surprised he blinked a few times. "You mean you can take us out of this darkness?"

"Yes." She nodded. "But it will ask something from you. You have to let me in, to accept me as a part of your own."

Confused but hopeful he looked up to her. "How do you mean?"

"Remember that one time in that southern Almyran town? When you were near death from the sand and the thirst?" She smiled. "Your head hurt so much because I used what little power I still have to keep you,..us, from dying. That was what gave you such a headache." She smiled fondly.

"I remember.." Byleth recalled that difficult hour. 

"Without me and your friend, you'd never have survived that walk back to the town. Yet you've always pushed me away. Probably because I tried to keep you alive when you were but a child and gave you a headache in return." She smiled sadly.  
"In order for us to escape this frightening darkness, our minds will have to become as one."

Upon Byleth's following silence, however, Sothis continued.

"My keeping your blood flowing and your lungs breathing gave you the worst of headaches, right?" She asked, to which Byleth gave a nod.  
"The power it will take to escape this place is immense, compared to those simple things. Imagine how you would feel upon waking."

Byleth nodded slowly. "I could die from the strain alone." He stated, but in truth, it was a question.

"That is highly likely, yes." She nodded. "Thus I will need to take more from you than just your heart." She frowned, frustrated with her own words. "I mean, we will have to become as one, but.."

"What?" Byleth asked, his face drawn in a worried expression.

"It means I won't be able to appear to you as freely as I can now. Nor can I interfere with your fate like I used to. We will be as one. It is the only way." She sulked.  
"I will miss chiding you."

"I am the beginning." She touched down upon her throne, which had appeared from the darkness. Sitting down with her legs tucked up, she held her gaze onto Byleth.

"Thus, you must become the end. Or the next." A brief smile broke through her serene expression. "Who knows what is still to come, after all." She closed her eyes. 

"Sothis.." Byleth cut her off before she could speak again, stepping forward. A multitude of emotions flickered over his face before he finally spoke again.

"Thank you, for everything you did.. I had no idea." He looked away. "But I realize now, without you I would not have lived. I would not have-..." His eyes peered into the darkness, willing themselves to see. 

"I would not have gotten to meet my friend. Or ever reunited with him again." He looked up to her. "I never realized-.." His voice dropped in tone. "-and I am sorry for how I treated you."

Upon her throne, Sothis looked down at him with a tender, warm smile. "I know you are, I feel your heart as if it were my own. Although it hurt me, I always understood why you reasoned the way you did." She beckoned him closer, immediately making Byleth aware of the stone texture under his bare feet that wasn't there before. 

Ascending the stairwell, he stopped before the last step, taking in the sight of the green-haired goddess who resided in his heart. 

"Allow me to give you a word of advice, as a gift from me to you." She rubbed her legs together before sitting up more. 

"Think about what path you wish to walk. Promise me that the decision will be yours, and yours alone." She closed her eyes. 

"You are the continuing, the next." She smiled. "Your heart already holds the answer, you just need to find the courage to accept it, and the strength to walk it."

Looking inwards the answer awaited him, like a burning flame in his chest.  
"See?" She smiled a bit smug as she stood, her throne turned into millions of swarming lights, orbiting her small form.

"Come now, it is time to escape this place." She walked towards him, standing just a hair taller than him.  
"Wait-" Byleth hesitated before speaking again. "Will I never see you again?"

She let out a sigh, drawing her face in a scowl. "Have you not heard a word I said? I told you we'd be together, our souls interwoven as one. I will not simply vanish." Her last words were wrapped in warmth.

"I will always be with you."

Growing translucent her power coalesced around her in a shimmering rain of gold, whirling around them, lighting up the darkness. Sothis moved to him before grasping his wrist and joining their souls as one.  
For a moment, Byleth felt nothing but absolute stillness.

Then suddenly, from deep within his soul, a well of power burst forth, ripping into him from the inside out, and bursting out of his skin. 

Grasping his blade he redirected the blast of power to the sword of the creator before hewing it down with a single strike, cutting the very fabric of space and time on its edge.

A light poured into the darkness as the opening widened. Then Byleth forced himself forward and into the opening, stepping back into the real world. 

"No-.. Impossible! The Fell Star consumes even the darkness of Zahrass itself?!" Solon uttered stunned.

Hurling himself forward he brought his sword of the creator down from a high arc, striking Solon down. The mage however countered with a bout of desperate barrier magic. Byleth, then drew upon this new well of power inside of him to counter his magic and with a second swing, rending the life from his body. 

With a flick of his wrist, the blood clinging to the blade was swatted off and onto the ancient stone. Only to feel his knees beginning to buckle under the weight only a second later. A blinding nova fired behind his eyes. Struggling to stay on his knees he wiped the blood away before falling to the ground. 

"Byleth!" A familiar voice rang out. A host of footsteps drew near. 

"I thought we'd lost you professor-" Marianne stammered before immediately drawing up her healing magic. 

"What happened to your hair!-" Ignatz asked before Claude shouted at him to keep an eye on the perimeter.

"Teach-" Concerned eyes gazed to him. "What the hell happened?-"

"That is a long story-" He groaned before forcing himself back to his severely wobbly legs. 

"I am alright-" Byleth gasped for a moment before squinting his eyes, trying to find his tactician's sight, only to find his body too tired to sustain anything other than a glance. 

"No- no. Leave the stragglers to us. The knights will be here any moment now, you just keep calm and rest."

Consenting, Byleth sat down. Unable to accomplish much more than that. 

"Just rest up professor, let them do the hard work." Hilda chuckled and patted on his shoulder. 

He offered her a soft smile before looking up to Claude, who seemed to be as tense as a bowstring, keeping an eye on anything that moved. Byleth's gut churned as his guilt strung itself around his innards again. 

"I am sorry.." He near whispered, but it was still more than enough for his friend to hear him. 

"Just be alright and I will forgive you." He smiled nervously, reinforcing it with a wink.  
"My, Claude not trying to get something out of an opportunity. Now that's a rarity." Hilda chuckled, but the usually easy going half-Almyran did not play along this time. 

Once the stragglers were cleared out, and the knights had finally arrived, Claude arranged for one of the knights to warp his teacher back into the monastery's confines.  
Having flown back from the scene of the battle, Claude took him .. somewhere. He lost his consciousness halfway through the great hall..

When he awoke, he did so to someone singing as well as warm ministrations to his face and hair. As he pried his eyes open, he near stiffened with shock. The archbishop held him in her embrace, his head on her lap. 

"Oh- you have awakened. This truly is a joyous day." She smiled radiantly and almost looked enamored with him as she stroked her hand through his hair.. 

..hair which was now a light shade of green, so light it could almost be white. Confused by everything Byleth debated whether to sit up or stay still, finally opting for the latter as the archbishop sang on. Murmuring wishes in between the melodies of how she wished this moment could last forever. 

Uneasy to the point of becoming distressed, Byleth finally sat up. 

"You were blessed by the goddess with power." Rhea spoke from nowhere as if he had voiced one of his many questions. "Such a thing has only happened once before, to the holy Seiros." She smiled warm and rich, but to Byleth it felt deeply unnerving. Not a single word even dared to wager itself near his lips. Silence held him in its chokehold once again.

It took several songs and murmurings more before Rhea finally let him go entirely and called Seteth to talk. Being given even the smallest amount of leeway to slip away, Byleth didn't let the chance go and rushed out. 

"Oh my, you poor thing-" Manuela saw him catch his breath in the hallway, just outside of the infirmary. "Come here, you can rest up and keep us company." She guided him inside, and at this particular point in time, he preferred Manuela's advances over the situation he just escaped.

“Oh my, professor, what happened to your hair?” Dorothea exclaimed as she stood up from her seat.  
On a confused look from Byleth however, Manuela handed him a mirror and finally did Byleth see why both the knights as well as his own students had looked so shocked. 

Perhaps even why Lady Rhea had cooed over him as she had. His hair had taken on a bright, light green shade and his eyes had changed from their old dark blue shade to a brilliant blue-green.  
"Come now, have some tea with us." Dorothea set down a cup before sitting down across of him. "How are you feeling professor?"  
Byleth gazed inward before shaking his head. "I am fine,.. tired but fine. How is my class? They all came back alright?" He turned to Manuela who had joined them.

"Oh, most certainly they did, though all of them were very worried for you I might add." She smiled gently. "Most of all your house's leader, Claude. That rambunctious boy was caught by Seteth when he went looking for you one night."

Byleth's brows knit, but before he could ask Dorothea answered him. "You were out for almost two weeks, professor. It is the 20th of the Pegasus moon."

Byleth's eyes dilated as he considered her words. "I was with the archbishop all this time?"

"Indeed you were. She hardly showed herself." Manuela sighed softly. "I don't suppose she has told you, hasn't she?" Manuela asked, sipping her tea. "Lady Rhea is planning a grand ceremony of enlightenment, a visit to a place no one quite knew existed until now, and she intends to bring you along. To receive a revelation of the goddess of some kind. I've been working here for quite some years but I have never seen nor heard of this ceremony before."

Byleth readily swallowed the hot tea down as he felt himself settle down, wondering just what this all meant. 

"What of my students?" He finally asked, looking up to the former songstress. 

"Oh, don't worry, Hanneman and I took over for you, for the time being."

"Thank you..." Byleth spoke, sinking back into thought.

"Of course, we teachers have to help one another when it is needed. But all in all, this has been a very strange month, let alone a strange year." She sighed. "Now with Edelgard gone.."

Byleth looked up concerned. 

"She was summoned home, or so the story goes." Dorothea sighed. “I haven’t spoken much with her since switching houses, but according to Lin she has been.. stressed.” Dorothea explained.

"Well, you just go and rest up, I will try and find that dashing house leader of yours." Manuela got up, leaving Byleth to a second cup of tea.

"Teach!" Claude burst in but saw no one but Dorothea at first glance. Only when she pointed to the other side of the door did he see him. “It seems lady Rhea left quite an impression.” Dorothea stood up before making her exit.

Byleth was still shaken but eased considerably when the half-Almyran shut the door behind her. "It's good to see you." He spoke softly.

The concern and tension seemed to melt off the half-Almyran's face, being replaced with relief. "It's good to see you too- two weeks, where in creation-.." he planted both hands on his teacher's shoulders.

"At lady Rhea's." Manuela followed them in, Byleth jolted a moment before confirming it with a nod. 

"I think I slept most of it. Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, they are fine Teach." Claude let go and drew up his habitual mask. "Being stuck inside for so long, you gotta be craving some fresh air, no?"

Byleth knew a hint when he heard it, and truth be told he could use some fresh winter air, thus gave a solemn nod. "Thank you, professor Manuela." He met her gaze, to which she just winked with a smile. 

"Any time"

Once outside the cold bit into his skin, waking him up fully. "Come, let's head for the stables. I know a nice view there." The other guided him through the fresh layer of snow that had fallen, now the southern winds had died off. 

Navigating past the narrow passage they gained a view over a snowed under meadow, used to let the horses stretch their legs. Under a roof awning, a bunch of hay stood, making for a good place to sit. His thigh still ached as he climbed, but Byleth guessed that came from half a month of disuse and one single bout of ferocious combat combined.

When they finally sat, however, no words fell. No further admonishments nor apologies filled the air. Nothing existed but a muted silence that warmly hung between them. 

The snow began to twirl down from the grey, overcast skies above as three destriers grazed in the pasture, working up the snow with their hooves to reach what little greenery remained beneath. The guards that patrolled Garreg Mach's walls lingered to take in the view on the Oghma mountains. It's largest peak now near fully covered in snow. 

Byleth focused on the steam that escaped his lips. On the absolute sensation of peace, captured in a singular moment, which would become a singular memory, or so he desperately hoped. 

Slowly he felt himself fully calm down, he felt the tension leak out of him and into the hay. In the silence of peace, one by one his memories played back before his eyes, and the bitter realization spread through him, of how much of a fool he had been and of the path that laid before him.

He cast a glance to the other, who started ahead in thought himself. Somehow the cords that bound them, their friendship, felt almost tangible in silences such as these. Words shaped and matured inside him, waiting to be said. 

With this determination forming inside him, Byleth realized he found one of the answers he needed to move on. To face the future so full of unknowns.  
He found it hidden deep within himself, and like a dragon, he curled around this truth, letting it warm him and seep into his bones.

"I wish to help you achieve your dreams, Claude." Byleth's words split the silence asunder.

Now looking to him with surprise, Byleth held his gaze. The calm he so desired now filled him. A calm born of peace and certainty. 

"Wait-.." Claude spoke up, confusion immanent on his face, yet more words did not come.

"I know what I wish to live for. What I want my future to be. Where my path must go, and I realized, I always have known, ever since meeting you again.”

“When Solon's spell spirited me away to a world of darkness, ... I thought I had died." He looked ahead as he spoke, before meeting the other's gaze again. 

"There I realized what path I want to walk. I was.. filled with regret" Byleth smiled solemn whilst looking to his friend. “Because I thought my time had come, and I could no longer return here.” He gazed ahead.

"Someone who I thought to be a dream.. a delusion, proved to be real.” He watched the vapor from his words dissipate before continuing.

“She saved me. She joined with my soul, allowing me to escape that place and return here." He looked to his friend. “That is why my looks have changed. Everything, my sight, my crest, it was her, because of her I was able to escape that place.” His fingers squeezed together as he let his words die out, inhaling a deep breath of cold air.

The other let out a deep, long sigh. He leaned with his head on his hands before finally being able to say his piece.

"You scared the life out of me, you know that? Back there?" He looked up with a frown. "First you nearly ran into that fray on your own, then you.. suddenly vanish- from my head with that crest power of yours, and the next moment I see you being swallowed whole." He looked to him with anger in his eyes, behind which was hiding pain.

"Solon ranted on and on about you being finished, and- ..well you nearly caused me to believe it." He sighed. "Then we all see a sword carving open the bloody sky! And out you pop, you finish Solon then nearly pass out on us-." He gestured. 

"Then Rhea nothing short of abducts you to her quarters for two weeks without giving us any hint as to how you are-" He frowned. 

".. I heard Seteth caught you looking for me?" Byleth spoke softly.

"He did-.. he, .. well he was angry of course, but afterward he tried to get answers from her for us, she wouldn't even tell him anything." Claude shook his head. 

"I've been using the time to read through your diary, I know, maybe that's just poor timing on my part, but your father was right. Rhea did something to you when you were a baby- and knowing that now-.."

"You worried about me." Byleth finished his sentence. "You haven't let go of your pessimism, haven't you?" Byleth asked with a gentle smile. 

Claude seemed to ease on the sight but shook his head. "It's served me all too well these years..." He let his sentence wander before closing his eyes and stilling his mind. 

Byleth placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I.. don't know how much I have changed yet. But I am alright, as far as I can feel." The other looked up, his worry showing clearly now, no longer disguised. 

"Okay, that’s good at least." He accepted it, then found a small smile. Byleth mirrored it and let his hand fall down. 

"So, will you have me?"  
Claude’s eyes shot open for a moment before Byleth saw him realize. "You really want to come with me to Derdriu?" He asked, disbelief ringing somewhere in his voice. "Leave the teaching life behind?"

"I like Garreg Mach." Byleth explained. "But I promised someone that I would cut my own path and that I would find the courage to walk it." He met his friend's green eyes. "You have a big dream, Claude.  
It is an amazing dream, one I wish to help you fulfill in some way. I do not know how yet, but still."

"If I could ever ask the goddess of Fódlan for one thing, it'd be for you to stand by my side through all of this." Claude stared ahead, then closed his eyes bearing a genuine and elated grin. 

“Having you with me will be all I need to make my dream come true.”

"Just, no more stalking enemies all on your own." Byleth chuckled softly.  
"How about not charging into danger recklessly?" Claude shot back with a grin.

Byleth sighed with a smile. "I will try my best to not die before my time, How about that, that is something we both can swear to."

The other thought it over for a moment before accepting with a grin. "No dying before our time. I want to see you get old and grey." He broke into a chuckle which Byleth shared. 

"Until we are old and grey, then." Byleth let himself fall back before slipping down the hay bale and brushing himself off. "I am starving." He admitted as his stomach practiced it's siren's call. "Let's meet up with the class before night curfew, I'd like to see how everyone is doing."

"I'll fetch them, you go and get a bite to eat, Teach." Claude spun the title with a teasing tone. Byleth shook his head before both headed back to the main monastery grounds.

**21rst of the Pegasus moon, snowy.**

_I have been asleep for close to two weeks after the fight in the sealed forest. Kronya and Solon are both dead. I nearly passed, too. My appearance has changed, Sothis is a part of me. This is all so new._

He lifted his quill from the paper, wondering whether to leave her name in his diary. Yet with several other entries on the page, and it being nothing but the truth, he decided against it.

The chances of the Archbishop, or Seteth, betraying his trust and reading his diary were slight to none. 

Taking another spoonful of soup, he felt his insides warm, then set himself to writing again. 

I have decided on my path. 

He hesitated again, long enough for the ink to dry, before resolving to just shut his diary and eat his soup whilst it was still hot.

A good half an hour and a plate of mashed stew later, he felt well enough to climb the flights of stairs towards the library, where he found his students, as well as Seteth waiting for him. 

"Ah, professor, your students told me this is where you would be. Considering the circumstances perhaps you already are aware, but the archbishop has a special mission for you and your students this month." Seteth explained.

"She is inviting all of you to join her during a very special ceremony, to be held in the sacred tomb, deep below Garreg Mach monastery." The assistant to the archbishop explained. "She will further brief you on this in a few days time. Meanwhile, use your time to prepare." He met Byleth's gaze. "Steel your mind and your beliefs, professor. That will be all for today, I will leave you to your students." The man made a slight bow before leaving.

The class stared at each other surprised after he left and Byleth himself found a place to sit and think it all over.

Slowly conversation began and ramped up to involve them all, Byleth included. Resulting in an impromptu lesson on the Seiros faith by courtesy of Marianne, who more and more seemed to find her courage.

Byleth relished being amidst his students, answering their questions again. The warmth of their words wrapped around him like a blanket. Giving him cause enough to wear a smile of his own. 

In preparation of the coming mission, Byleth organized a round of exams for his students, leading to a tense week of study. He himself studied as well, welcoming it as a good diversion to keep away the resurgent memories of his father. As a result, he graduated for Mercenary, finishing the class, as well as passed a general knowledge check to qualify as a swordmaster. 

Yet strangely enough, during his qualification exam against Catherine, he felt a crackling pull within himself. After having passed the exam, he requested a training bout with her. The famous relic wielder was happy to oblige and give him a chance to find out what it was. 

It turned out to be magic.. something he never had an affinity for. Untrained and weak it equaled the first spell of a novice with terrible control.

"That definitely looks like magic to me." Catherine rested on her wooden training sword. "You should show this to professor Hanneman. He will get you on your way." She smiled easy. 

"Magic affinity?" Claude looked up surprised when they met again in the library at night. 

"So professor Hanneman and professor Manuela said. I seem to lean to light magic a tad more than reason, but according to their tests I seem to have enough aptitude to be schooled in both." Byleth rose his shoulders in a shrug, which now painfully reminded him of his father. 

"Well, that's a good thing, I think. You should train it if you want to." The other offered with an easy grin. "It'll make you even more terrifying as an opponent."

Byleth looked at him with a flat, neutral face before letting out a sigh. "I suppose it is better than to leave it untrained."

Claude threw his hands up and behind his head. "If good things happen, just take them, believe the pessimist on this one." He laughed, causing the other to shake his head with a soft smile. 

"No professor, you need to focus internally, first. Then externally." Lysithea advised. The classroom was largely empty still, as class wasn’t scheduled to begin for an hour. So, Byleth tried again, but his focus slipped and the spell simmered out.

"You will get it if you keep studying." She smiled encouragingly. “Just keep working on your focus and you should see results.”

"Thank you, Lysithea." Byleth made a small bow, flushing the noble red. 

"Of course- you are always welcome to ask me." She huffed like a cat puffing up before revealing a proud smile.

"Professor, I really love this new hair color of yours!" Flayn greeted him as she walked in, joining the conversation with a gleeful smile. "It makes us look as if we were family."

"Thank you, Flayn." Byleth took a seat on the chair he had snatched from his room, ever since the fight where he lost his father, his leg still hurt. "I am still getting used to it, I have to admit."

"Oh, I hope you will come to like it as much as I do, professor." She sat down, opening her books to get an early start.

An hour later most of the students had found their way to class. It felt good to return to a normal pace for Byleth, he realized. Sitting and watching the conversations take place, he grounded himself in the present, shaking off the cold memories of all that had taken place.  
So his class set off. It was nearly the end of the year now. Most of the subject matter that had been deemed as crucial by the church had been covered. Only the voluntary subjects remained, as well as a plenitude of guest speakers providing useful seminars.

After having managed to get Rodrigue Fraldarius into his class once, teaching a seminar on politics and the finer details of steering a noble house, Byleth had been approached by numerous students from the other houses to sit in on his other seminars, most of which were given by a wide variety of people. From common merchants discussing the fine intricacies of price wars and trade routes to knights of Seiros detailing the life of a knight. Not long after, Hanneman and Manuela had taken over the practice as well. 

At the end of the moon on the 25th, Byleth's class spent most of the lesson time in the Blue Lion classroom to hear Sir Gilbert speak of the kingdom's legendary order of winged knights. 

Only when the day was over did Byleth realize how he was recovering, no longer so tired as to need a chair to survive a day of teaching, or listening to lectures in an overfull classroom. 

Standing in the snow, just outside the classrooms, a memory shot past his eyes. A young hand, much smaller than his own, grasping into the snow and forming of it a ball before throwing it at-.. Seteth?

Suddenly he snapped back into the real world the man was speaking to him.

"Considering all that happened you did well to finish your lesson materials." Byleth shook himself awake before processing his words.

"As a result, you may choose subjects of your own liking to fill in the last days of the school year. If you need inspiration, I suggest you visit the library." The man smiled knowingly before shifting his head minutely. "That is all, have a good day."

Mystified for a moment, he saw the man walk away. Only to see his memory flashback again for just an instance. Seeing green tresses as someone bent forward to ready the perfect throw.

"Sothis-" He realized, but the other in the memory.. his hair was different, as was his age but- could it be? 

"Preemptive strike!" Someone yelled before he turned around and was greeted with a face full of snow. 

"Ah, owh ailell- Sorry professor, I wasn't aiming for you I swear!" Sylvain pleaded, but Byleth's mind was already made up, thanks to the memories of his now other-half. 

He grasped a hand full of snow, compacting it a moment before hurting it at the youth with pinpoint accuracy.  
"Oh-professor! You've done it now- you've assaulted the blue lions in brazen combat!" Sylvain grinned as he readied another snowball. 

Entirely childish, or simply effective, Byleth didn't care. Tugging on the power of his crest he reached his eight and called them to his side. 

"What's wro-" Claude was greeted with a face full of snow before even properly making it onto the battlefield. Byleth had sought cover behind the pillars of the walkway connecting the classrooms to the big hall. "Get into cover and return fire." Byleth spoke, his face dead serious, but his tone was clearly underlined with amusement. 

"We are at war."

"Oh-... Ooooooooh!" Something of a wicked smirk developed onto the half-Almyran's face before he sped off. "I know just the thing!"

"No poisons!" Byleth yelled back, startling quite a few students nearby. 

One by one the golden deer came looking and were conscripted in the fight. Meanwhile, the same thing was happening on the other side. Dimitri had brazenly joined the fight as acting commander whilst Manuela cheered from the safety of the classroom. 

"You think you will win from us professor?" Dimitri grinned with positive delight. "Our house has greater numbers, you know." He taunted, right until a heap of snow came crashing down on top of him from a great height. 

Looking up disturbed he saw the golden deer leader high above, on the classroom building’s roof with a shovel and a delighted grin. “Beat that Dimitri!”

Unshaken, the prince declared a full-scale war and unchained a mock battle rivaling the battle of the eagle and lion, with snow.  
“You’d better surrender while you can!” Dorothea bore a grin as she controlled the battlefield with her dance before launching a shot that struck Claude square in the knee.

“Cheater!” Hilda yelled with a grin whilst she batted a big lump of snow back over the field, unaffected by the former opera singer’s dance. Landing a hit straight on her thigh.

At some point thereafter Raphael stormed the blue lion’s snow-fort in a lunging attempt to steal their flag before a proper wrestling match broke out as Dedue stopped him. 

Byleth led his students in a full-on frontal attack, rushing Dimitri’s front lines before suddenly Hilda screamed, drawing attention away from the fight. 

“That jerk! Everyone Felix has our flag, stop him!” She issued. An embarrassing oversight, Byleth wouldn’t admit to it, but he hadn’t thought the stoic youth to be interested in this fight. How wrong he had been.  
What followed was a long and arduous chase throughout the monastery before a similar gasp of shock came from the blue lion camp. 

Petra had stolen the blue lion flag, leaving Ingrid upside down in a heap of snow. The black eagles had joined and together the three houses re-created the grondor field mock battle in a staggeringly less serious manner. 

At some point in the afternoon however, a break was enforced by the knights. It took Shamir’s special skill set to conquer all three flags before the three houses would finally relent.  
She had to resort to her throwing knives, even. Yet now the mercenary stood atop of the stables, the three flags in hand. 

“Break time. You need to eat and drink. Also, Seteth seems to have a plan.” She spoke curtly before getting down and skillfully nullifying an ambush by Claude, landing the golden deer leader on his ass. 

Someone from the dining hall came to call them inside, where hot chocolate and apple pie awaited them all.  
One amicable meal later, however, all students found themselves on the snowed under pasture which Claude and Byleth had been sitting at just a few weeks ago. On it, three giant mountains of snow now rested. 

“Here is the plan. Each house builds a fort, then defends against the others. If one house gets the flag of another house back to their base, and their own flag still stands, the flag-less house loses.” The assistant to the archbishop spoke painfully serious, but those with sharp eyes could spot the smile that played on his lips during his silences.

“Everyone in their places, ready, go!” He raised a borrowed lance up, causing the houses to storm off to a respective mound of snow.

Forts were rapidly constructed and sticks with point flags were mounted inside.

The knights came to watch, cheering on either side and ensuring safety for the innocent spectating crowd whilst a gritting battle unfolded. The black eagle house was two members down but they did not let that hold them back, causing an exhaustive three-way battle of which Byleth was gladly not a part anymore. He had joined to watch and cheer from the sidelines.

It was a break-even fight between the three houses, featuring bitter stand-offs and daring tactics.  
Until that all suddenly changed and mayhem and chaos overturned every last resemblance of order.

One of the knights, Byleth believed it to have been Alois, made the mistake of throwing a snowball back into the fray. 

The game rapidly changed thereafter, leading to an impromptu cease-fire between the classes as they took on the knights, together. Catherine and Alois weren't afraid of a challenge, and thus the true battle of snowballs began, taking place all over Garreg Mach as the students had initially forced a rout. Only for the knights to regroup and use years of experience against the students. Snow flew everywhere, the public was drawn in, and even Byleth summoned the strength to re-join the fray again, managing to hit the ever-elusive Shamir once or twice. 

When the sunset and the light began to die, a final ceasefire was finally negotiated.

The negotiator was no one less than Seteth himself. Who took the duty of chief negotiator painstakingly serious, spinning the fight to have an educational value as well as providing some hard needed fun. 

Exhausted as well as drenched the whole monastery dined together, then tiredly,  
went to find their beds after, as everyone was exhausted beyond words.

After All, tomorrow would prove a trying day.

When Byleth first walked into the tomb, right behind Rhea, his legs locked up. A hauntingly familiar room stared back at him. Most of all her now empty throne.

"Teach?" Claude informed clandestinely as Seteth stopped as well.

"I know this place." He whispered back before forcing himself onward, feeling marvel and wonder take hold of him. 

Finally, standing before her throne, Byleth felt his emotions stir whilst Rhea spoke, her words not registering as he recalled Sothis's friendly smile and stern admonishments.

"Please, sit on the throne and receive the goddess's revelation." The archbishop commanded with a smile. 

Yet that was impossible, Byleth thought. A part of him resisted the order whilst his legs began to move. Was he even worthy of sitting on her throne?  
Yet he was no longer the same being he was before.

Ascending the stairs, Byleth gazed at the throne, which seemed to beckon him to sit. It had represented her power, vanishing when she joined her soul to his. Yet no such splendor resided in it now.

Sitting down on the ancient dust collecting throne, memories assaulted his mind. Sweeping him along in a dramatic race through time. Each scene no longer than a second before the next took its place. On the place where his heart should be, a cramp caused pain. 

Byleth waited but did not hear her voice again. The face of the archbishop fell, before sharply turning around back to the entrance. Yet Byleth could not easily escape the mire of memories begging for his attention, crying at his feet. Men and women with various shades of green hair surrounded him and dragons flew above. The spectacle was too engrossing to let go. Sothis’s memories flooded into his own, threatening to overwhelm him until a fierce cry pierced the equilibrium surrounding him.

Rhea's anger rebounded from the aged walls, her condemnations ripping him from the flood of memories.

Intruders had appeared below, forming on the entrance to the tomb. Led by the Flame Emperor themself. Ugly beasts were summoned into being whilst thieves lined the walls. Yet everything seemed to happen as if far away, not relevant to his here and now.

Fighting to break through this spell the throne laid on him he struggled to stave off the memories and find it in his legs to stand. To shake off the apathy with which Byleth saw the battle begin. It was as if he was being tied down, held back. Drawing upon his strength he finally broke free and was launched into the chaos of the melee had begun.

As if he surfaced from a long underwater swim, he heard and saw properly again, the world snapped into focus. Seeing the dire situation unfold he called upon the power of his crest and synced it up to his students, as well as anyone with a willing mind. Seteth looked to him distraught a moment before schooling his face back to normal. "This defense will work better with a central commander. Guide me well." He warned, to which Byleth issued a grateful nod.

"Professor you must protect the crest stones!" Rhea commanded with fury in her voice.

Byleth wasn't about to countermand that order, thus with brief and clear commands sent his people amongst the sides of the rooms to take out the thieves first. Running as fast as his legs allowed he sped past graves of men and woman long dead before sinking his blade into a thief before he could make off with his haul. 

"Cut off their escape." He repeated before alerting Lorentz to a thief within his range, then dashed forward to lure one of the beasts towards him and away from Marianne, who was busy healing one of the archbishop's aides.  
"Leonie push forward and draw the other beast in. Try to dodge its swipe. Raphael be ready to go, take up position beside Leonie." Byleth issued as he ran and chased down another thief. "Claude, keep the thieves away from the stairs to the best of your ability-" Byleth caught a flash but couldn't move in time, taking a magical hit that near threw him onto his behind. "Lysithea-"

"Got it!" The aspiring gremory shot past him and tore down the dark bishop with a round of magic. "Lorentz help pull the other beast, dish out some damage if you can canto out of reach after-" Byleth grimaced and got up, brandishing his blade and countering an incoming axe-wielder head-on. 

Finally, after what felt like ages, Lorentz had brought one of the beasts down. "Well done!" Byleth panted as he jumped out of the way of an incoming arrow before striking at the other beast. 

"Ignatz, fire away if you have arrows left." He switched to his levin sword and cooked a heavily armored infantry headed for Leonie. "Raphael-" He found the strong built gentle-hearted man besieged by two enemy casters. "Hilda, help him." 

"Finish off that beast if when you can." He issued to the warrior before feeling Hilda's short axe whirl past him and into the mage's face. "Nice throw-" He eyed the usually lazy noble, who gave a courtesy bow in return before catching the last of the robbed crest stones thrown by Claude.

"Got the last one- we are complete!" Hilda yelled. All crest stones now accounted for Byleth saw the last beast fall to Raphael's fists, then issued his people to split in two and ascend the stairs. "Claude, take charge on your side, we will pincer them in between us." Byleth spotted the axe wielding wyvern-less wyvern rider giving a nod before fully ascending the stairs back to the overlook. 

One by one, the flame emperor's guards fell, leaving them as the sole opponent on the battlefield, trapped in between two determined student-armies on either side.

"The jig's up flame emperor." Claude grinned, his axe swung over his shoulder. Byleth approached from the other side, the sword of the creator glowing in his grip.  
"It is over." Byleth maneuvered himself in between their last foe and the exit. 

"You have yet to defeat me." The malformed voice taunted, which resulted in a near-instant flurry of both magic and arrows, as well as an incoming axe and sword. 

This time, Claude struck true. The flame emperor couldn't possibly evade the both of them, and now with a deep cut in their side, they fell to the ground. 

Gasping, the mask of the flame emperor fell clattering to the ground. 

A silent chorus of gasps followed as the flame emperor's identity was revealed.

"It is useless." She spoke, her face hardened in a cold expression. "Destiny will move forward, no matter how you will try to struggle against it." 

Shocked to silence Byleth found no words to speak, Claude, however, wasn't bound by silence nearly as much as he was.

"You did all of this? First Remire then kidnapping Flayn!" Claude accused. "What is wrong with you?" He frowned as he closed in on the downed flame emperor.  
But as soon as Claude got fully in range, Hubert appeared beside her, taking her away in a flash of magical light. 

The reveal and subsequently spoken words left the golden deer, as well as the knights of Seiros and their archbishop filled with anger and shock.

The question first and foremost on Byleth's mind, however, caused his insides to go stone-cold.

"What in creation did she mean with those words?" An ominous feeling took hold of the whole room. "I don't know, but I doubt it would mean anything good." He frowned. "We need to get back to the monastery above. I get the feeling our peaceful days are over."

**6th of the Lone moon, Overcast skies.**

_The monastery is in turmoil. Edelgard is the flame emperor. Edelgard is responsible for the kidnapping of Flayn, and somehow involved with what happened in Remire._  
_She is responsible, in part, for the death of my father, or at the very least affiliated with those who killed him. Not to mention all of the students who we found in that chapel. How did none of us ever see this coming? Was there anything we could have done? Something we didn't see?  
Ominous days lay ahead._

Byleth gazed ahead, his head in turmoil, much like everyone else in the monastery at this time. The days seemed to stretch out endlessly as they waited for something to happen. He just knew this wouldn't be the end of this bizarre year.  
Looking up he found Claude dangling his feet down from the library's mezzanine level. 

"As if a blade is hanging above our neck." Claude shook his head. "I can't stand this waiting around." 

The unease was everywhere, and hung so thickly in the monastery's halls that Byleth remained in the library so his students could seek him out at all times to speak with him, all to keep them calm.

Yet shaken most of all were the members of the black eagle house, their own house leader having betrayed the church. Their eyes were filled with a combination of fear and shock, and with Edelgard being the next in line for the Adrestian throne, the events that had taken place changed future and ultimately their life.

Then, two weeks after the incident at the holy tomb, news finally reached. Seteth had called the entire student body to the big hall, addressing them all simultaneous with the dreaded news.

"Edelgard von Hresvelg has ascended the imperial throne. Following her ascension, the Adrestian emperor declared war on the church and its allies. Including the holy kingdom of Faergus and the Leicester Alliance." Seteth looked deeply troubled. "Furthermore, the adrestian army has been spotted moving towards the Oghma mountains, towards Garreg Mach. We estimate they will arrive within a weeks time. 

Following this dire news we encourage all who cannot fight to evacuate the monastery as soon as possible." he closed his eyes. "The monastery will be preparing for battle from here on out. That is all for now, may the goddess's favor find you all."

The hall remained silent for minutes after Seteth had finished speaking. Shock had gripped the heart of every student. The next moment, someone broke out into tears and panic seemed to grip its way through the hall as the consequences of Seteth's message became apparent. 

Whilst, about half an hour later, a mass exodus was taking place, Byleth called upon the power of his crest to alert his students. 

"If you need somewhere to be, to talk, I will be at the library." He pushed open the heavy doors before settling down on one of the chairs, relishing in the relative quietude the second floor offered, as compared to the rest of the monastery. The smell of cured leather and whitened paper brought a kind comfort to him he didn't have when his teaching tenure began.

One by one his students made their way up to him. 

"You think we can win, professor?" Ignatz asked, sounding worried.

"The entire adrestian army isn't something to sneeze at, Ignatz." Hilda fussed with her necklace. "They far outnumber us."

"But what about our defensive position?" Raphael asked before taking another bite out of his cured ham he had somehow scored.

"Even when we calculate for our defensive position, we still lack trained personnel, not to mention the age of our siege weaponry." Lorentz looked impressively calm considering their situation, stirring a cup of tea. "Even if we manage to get Garreg Mach's defenses up and running, we will still struggle against the vanguard, let alone manage to hold off the entirety of their army." 

"But we can expect reinforcements from the kingdom and alliance, no?" Leonie argued and stood up. 

"I am afraid not." Claude spoke up. "The empire isn't only attacking us, they are launching campaigns against the kingdom and alliance, too. They will attempt to fortify their borders whilst we fight, we may get some token forces at best, but they won't be enough and won't be on time to change the course of the upcoming battle."

"Could the monastery truly fall?" Marianne worried. 

"We will do what we can." Byleth spoke up for the first time. "The odds are against us, but unless you all wish to retreat back to your own houses, we need to focus on winning, or at the very least deterring Edelgard's vanguard. It is possible that her sudden ascension led to an unstable political situation in Enbarr, possibly giving us an opening to, at the very least, stave off their attack." Byleth closed his eyes. "If any of you wish to return home, however, please do so now." He addressed his students gently. "Before the enemy has a chance to circle and cut off the mountain passes into the kingdom and alliance."

"Do any of you wish to go home?" Claude asked, gazing around the group. "Because this is your chance, and promise I won't get mad." He forced a smile and a wink. 

"You can think whatever you want of me Claude, but I am not running home like a child." Lysithea brandished a challenging determined expression.

"I am not going anywhere, if we don't stop these empire guys here then my lil sis could get in danger." Raphael nodded.

"I am staying too." Ignatz confirmed.

“As am I” Leonie nodded.  
“I’d love to say I am going home, but-” Hilda sighed. “I suppose if everyone else is staying I will too.” 

“Hilda..” Marianne spoke softly. “I will stay too.”

"Well I can hardly be an exemplary noble if I were to run home now, can I?" Lorentz smiled, ending the pledges of loyalty sans one.

"What'd you all be without me?" Claude winked and drew his words into a jest. "Someone has to keep you all going"

"I think we'd be quite well off without you." Lorentz grinned with crossed arms, sparking a brief back and forth between the two. 

Byleth smiled as their bickering drew in the whole class, filling the library with chatter once again, even in the face of war.

"Such practices are below standard for a noble of my caliber, Claude." Lorentz huffed.  


"Well, as I recall it, Mr. Noble, you were struck right in the face with a snowball from the gatekeeper. Where did all your noble standards go to then, huh?" Leonie grinned as she cornered the Gloucester.  


"Well- I-" He stammered while the whole class looked to Leonie for clarification.  


"I believe it went something like this;" She stood. "For the honor of the nobility as well as my house, prepare yourself!" She imitated Lorentz to perfection, causing the whole of the class to lose it as she continued to demonstrate the most dainty method of snowball throwing for the whole class.  


"Leonie!" The now red flushing noble cried out.  


"Owh Lorentz, I am sorry, but when I see you spouting that noble nonsense I just couldn't help myself." She grinned without any regret. Finally, Lorentz just relented and let out a deep sigh as the snowball battle stories were revisited all around.  
Byleth silently listened, enjoying the happy banter one more time, maybe the last time. When he caught Claude looking ahead of himself with an identical expression as his own, he smiled slightly.

**20th of the Lone moon, overcast.**

_They arrive today. The battle for Garreg Mach is upon us. _

Byleth closed his diary before stuffing it under his arm and leaving his room well before day-break. Still, the monastery was filled with life. Nervous, anxious life. Byleth navigated through the men and women of the early guard rotation heading to the dining hall before finding his father's old room. 

Staring at the two diaries under his arm, he wondered what was the wiser choice to make. His father's diary had to be hidden well, Claude had suggested as much as well when he returned it to him last night. 

"I may as well hide them both." He concluded, placing the diaries in the recess in the wall before shoving the bookshelf back in its place. He made sure to clear the dust in the room to prevent any easy trails leading others to their hiding place, just to be safe.  
"It never hurts being prepared." He whispered before setting out to grab a meal. This day was going to be a long one.

"I never thought this is how it would feel." Lysithea mouthed quietly as the sky began to color. She had found Byleth at the dining hall, scarfing down a meal as best he could. Looking up Byleth felt his chest cramp with how worried she looked. 

"I have read about countless battles, but to stand at the periphery of one myself is.. daunting." She met her teachers gaze.

"Eat, there is no telling when the next chance to eat will come." Byleth advised. "You will feel better if you do."  
Uncertain she gazed to her plate, filled this time with rich food, meant to keep soldiers marching and fighting, rather than to keep students learning. 

Byleth had barely finished his meal before Seteth came looking for him. "The archbishop wants a word." The usually so steadfast man looked concerned.  
He eyed Lysithea before speaking up. "Please gather the others." Before following the man. 

"I have been told that our odds are poor." Rhea spoke, the picture of calm, but underneath, Byleth spotted uncertainty and unease. "Considering your tactical skills, professor, I have seen it fit to leave leading our forces to you."

Byleth felt his stomach turn as dread set in. "You have led your class against the church's adversaries with great skill, and thus you are the best candidate to defend Garreg Mach. All of the church's forces will be at your disposal. If it is the will of the goddess then we will overcome this despicable attack."  
The rest of her words shot past him, not registering. 

"I trust you will be up to the task?" Seteth caught onto his hidden distress.

"Perhaps you have heard from Professor Hanneman what the power of my crest is." He eyed the both of them before finding courage in his heart to speak. "But it is not limitless."

They both stared at him for a moment before Seteth spoke up. "This pertains to the reach of your ability, yes? I have considered this, if your students were to each command battalions of knights we should be able to circumvent this limitation, no?"

Byleth sighed, dismissing his own thoughts as futile with the amount of time they had left. "I will give it my all, but be prepared for anything." 

"You have done this before, we practiced and trained for this." Byleth addressed his eight. "Each of you will now command a battalion of knights, Catherine has assigned one to each of you. Familiarize yourself with them in what little time remains."

His class had settled somewhere in between their last meeting in the library and now. Pride swirled in his chest. Yet there was no time left to spare. "Go and get ready. Don't make Cathrine wait." He issued them off, turning to the armory to pick up his levin sword as well as a new buckler, the sword of the creator already dangled off his hip.

"Good." Catherine yelled when he got back, calling names of adjutants followed by a student to pair them up.

"What about Dimitri and the blue lions?" Ignatz asked. 

"They are on siege duty, we are expecting this to drag out, so we need to be able to rotate in fresh troops." She explained as she continued to match up her battalions to the students. Until only one remained. 

"Alois!" She called for the aspiring knight captain. "Right here!" 

"You are with the professor." Byleth looked up to the experienced knight who landed his hand with a thunderclap on his shoulder. "Leave it to me!"

For a moment longer, Byleth gathered his students for the last time, initiating his crest power he formed a link to all of them.

"Do me a favor when you are out there." Claude asked as they stood in a close circle. 

"What?" Hilda asked.

"Don't die. Remember that promise we made." Claude smiled in an attempt to raise their collective spirits. 

"Keep your wits about you, trust in your training. Trust in each other." Byleth reached out with his arms, much like he had often seen his father do and grasped the shoulders of Lysithea and Ignatz, who did the same with their neighbors and thus the whole group came together in a hug. 

"Let's do this."

The taste of dirt and blood lingered in his mouth. The overcast sky released its grip on the sun only when it neared the horizon, bathing the bloody battlefield in orange light. The assault had begun eleven hours earlier when the vanguard of the adrestian army had fought its way through the monastery's town below. Now, when the sun neared setting, it still raged on.  
Byleth felt as if he were a boy again, crossing the salt flats of Almyra. His legs ached with their two half-healed arrow wounds. His body burned of exhaustion as he leaped forward, whirling his sword of the creator in a high skyward arch to snatch an enemy pegasus rider down to the ground. 

Five hours ago Ignatz had taken an axe against his drawing arm, severe enough that magic could not heal it. Seteth's wyvern had been shot down not long after, causing the man to near fall to his death if it weren't for his sister. Three hours ago Hilda had been badly cornered after a sudden rush of the enemy, sealing her off from any reinforcements for over half-an-hour. Amazingly, she had pulled through and racked up quite a body count, too. But in his desperate attempt to free her, Lorentz was nearly killed by a barrage of enemy archers, his battalion had rescued him of his demise by sacrificing their own lives. Hilda's company had perished as well. 

Claude had opted to forego flying two hours ago as his wyvern nearly met the same fate as Seteth's, choosing to lead a new battalion from the ground instead.  
He had ordered Lysithea to retreat two hours ago as well, seen as she was entirely out of magic and exhausted beyond any safe limit. Then one hour ago Alois caught a blow that was meant to kill him. The knight screamed as the magic near cooked him inside his armor, causing Byleth to have Flayn rescue him off the battlefield before he would become another casualty in this blood-soaked fight. 

Now, he rushed to the aid of Leonie, who had her mount crippled within the range of far too many enemies. Desperately he tried to keep oversight, to keep the battle from devolving into a purely chaotic bloodbath. 

But his body was too tired. His muscles too slow. He heard her painful cry long before he was anywhere near reaching her. "Leonie!" He yelled, feeling his usually tight control slip. He lashed out as soon as he could to strike the soldier who tried to kill her, but it wasn't enough. Again, the world hurled itself to the left before an arrow flew overhead, splitting the man's skull. A good twenty paces away Claude looked worse than he had ever seen him, even in Almyra.  
Byleth kept running and near tripped before hauling the body of the soldier off her and helping her to her feet. "Someone get her back-" He panted hard, feeling the exhaustion pull on him. One of the few remaining men of his battalion took her in his arms and ran off, back up to the last defensive line.  
"We're being pushed back further and further-" Claude painted, his face stained in blood and his clothing torn on the many places he had gotten hit. 

Byleth squinted as he glanced around, using his mind's eye however, he saw Claude spoke the truth.

His chest clenched as he thought of the possibility for Garreg Mach to fall. Gasping he looked back to the other.  
"There is only one thing left to try."

Drawing upon his strength, he expanded his reach and the number of connections he sustained. Stretching so far back to the defensive line which Catherine held to the front lines ahead. The whites of his eyes became bloodshot as he oversaw the massive, blood-drenched battlefield. 

"They are trying to drive a wedge!" He realized, then set off into a sprint, issuing orders to commanders who may never have seen him before.

"Byleth!" Claude cautioned, giving chase. 

Byleth heard nothing anymore, all of his attention he focused on routing the adrestian army's charge whilst kneeling on the battlefield.  
Little by little Byleth saw his strategy come together, cutting off the vanguard of the army to encircle them and cause a rout. If only he could cause a proper rout-  
He didn't notice however how his breath grew more labored by the minute, nor how his head began to ache. 

"Push forward and encircle them, drive them back- You hold the line, force them back as well as you can. Mind your flank-" Byleth felt his head beginning to race, turning into a maelstrom of information. It became too much, yet he did not stop, biting through the pain in order to secure a victory, however small. 

"We are pushing them back!" One of the passing knights shouted with an elated cry, adding even more to Byleth's resolve to endure the pain.  
But the information began to overwhelm him. Trying to make sense of everything he saw he desperately grasped at shards of information, eliminating others from his sight. Yet the charge was working, the pincer movement had been a success, the army was being pushed back into the town. He didn't notice how violently he was shaking now. Nor the glint in the setting sun above..

"Byleth!" He warned, but he did not hear. Only when the sharp grinding of metal to metal pierced his ears from very close by did Byleth lose his concentration -causing him to scream out in pain. A white-hot nova went off behind his eyes, blinding his every sense as far too much information overwhelmed his mind. An axe shoved only centimeters past him as Claude desperately swung it to block a killing blow mere centimeters from his teacher's head. The falcon rider above however wasn't deterred and tried again.  
Unable to abort the multitude of connections Byleth only caught shards of the fight between crippling waves of pain which rapidly followed up on one another, causing him to cry out. His whole form shivered when Claude pulled him behind him and took a lance hit to the shoulder whilst doing so. 

The falcon rider swooped down from above again, but this time Claude's axe struck true, cutting the girth and causing the rider to fall off and cartwheel through the dirt. Through flashes of his power, Byleth saw how the lines had broken.  
With blood running down his nose and from his forehead he forced himself back on his legs whilst attempting to shut away the pain. 

"Fall back-" He mouthed, but Claude didn't hear his mumbled words in the heat of battle. Near falling again, he grasped his friend's shoulder to keep himself up. 

"We need-..to fall back-" He gasped and panted hard. "The lines have broken-" He coughed hard, his grip shivering. "Get them out of here- please." He pleaded. 

This time his friend held his gaze, shock clearly registering before grabbing him under his arms and dragging him back. "Fall back!" He yelled and repeated as they tried to outrun the now fully charging adrestian army. "Come on friend." He glanced and helped Byleth move.  
Suddenly a roar screamed over the battlefield, far louder than any man could cry. A shadow then blotted out the sun for a moment. As they both looked up a dragon soared overhead, tearing into the enemy lines. 

"Sacred lands and skies above-" The half-Almyran exclaimed stunned. 

"It's the immaculate one!" Cries went over the battlefield as hope returned. "The immaculate one has returned!"

But despite the shift in morale, Claude pushed on, dragging Byleth along. "Just a little further." he tried to smile, succeeding only marginally. 

"Beasts-" Byleth's blood crested lips mouthed as his run-away crest showed him shards of the battlefield still. More and more his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he threatened to collapse. 

"Come on now- we are almost there." Claude encouraged, calling him back. 

"Something's- coming!" Byleth warned as he tried to turn around. Claude let go of him and brandished his axe just in time to guard against a rapidly incoming wyvern rider. Byleth fell into the mud. struggling to get back on his legs he reached for his sword, wielding it in a precarious, trembling grip. But even standing at this point was almost too much. The wyvern rider came in for another attack, shoving Claude back as he deflected another blow meant for him. 

Right as the sunset, however, a stray bolt of magic coursed over the battlefield, narrowly missing an exhausted Catherine before slamming straight into Byleth's chest. As he stepped backward to stay afoot, the ground wasn't there anymore to support him. Suddenly his body.. fell.

Grasping for anything to cling to, he felt himself fall, felt the world rotate then bank hard to the left before reliving this exact same sequence again. That moment of weightless inertia. Panic shot through him as he saw Claude react, turning his back on an enemy to reach for him whilst he fell. 

But all was too late. The earth opened its maw and his friend was torn from his grasp by its pull.  
His outstretched hand, Claude the size of a spec of sand. Then nothing but darkness.

He was no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is, the end of part 2. Thank you for coming this far. I appreciate all the love I get from you all!  
Now to complete part 3. The writing is proceeding, but I had to do a lot of rewriting, too. There is no telling as of yet when part three will be done, but when it is I will publish these chapters on a weekly basis too!  
Writing this ending was hard, his emotions are becoming more and more outspoken. Byleth needed a fault of his own, especially with me adding the video-game mechanic into the story like this. 
> 
> **Author's tibbid of the day:**  
I had to have a snowball fight. I just had to. Just imagine how it would look, how Garreg Mach monastery would look during the midst of a snowy battle of wills. I imagine a window or two may have been shattered.  
With part three up and coming, I miss those days already, mainly the levity they allowed for. The hundreds of shenanigans Claude and co were all up to. I feel a lot of different things now that I have finished FE3H's four routes. Of all these feelings though, I think I will always have trouble forgiving the assault on the monastery. However much sense it may make to her to do so in her own eyes. Howell.
> 
> The next part will start off from a different premise than canon dictates. Writing it so far has been a blessing, with some difficult spots left and right. I hope you all will join me once again to read it when it is finished!  
Thank you all very much for sticking with me, I truly appreciate all your support! Thank you for your continuing support Steve the lovely IceCube and all others who have read and enjoyed this story!


	7. Part 3 - Chapter 1

Sleep strung him in its endless embrace, pulling him under like a drowning man was pulled under the waves. Endless nothingness surrounded him. Or was he even there to begin with? He wondered as sleep clung to him like a mother to her babe. Like lovers on their wedding night.  
A hushed desire to break free was easily overwhelmed by sleep's touch, he could not resist. Time after time, again and again, he failed and fumbled, losing the will to go on. Defeated he drifted back into nothingness, into the abyss.  
Did he still want to be?

Sleep took him before the answer came. Sleep was always there to keep him from thinking more than a thought at the time. Like a spider it entangled him in its web. Lulling him to sleep with that haunting lullaby.  
Sleep shut everything away. Made everything better. Sleep cast all doubt, all worry and all pain into its darkness.  
Sleep, however, was two-faced as well. Akin two-sided blade. Akin to himself? He wondered but there wasn't enough time to finish wondering.  
Sleep cast him into the darkness again. Like Zahrass´s forbidden spell. Absolute darkness, a cease of existence. It was both bliss as it was torture.  
Two-faced he wanted to cry. He didn't know why. Yet he cried, as well as laughed, craving the silence of death, of sleep. Of peace.  
He wanted to forget what he knew, it was so much easier than to remember. To feel the pain of failure so vividly for one so inept with emotions was too much to bear.  
Yet the flashes wouldn't stop revisiting his mind. 

Death, when experienced like this was so very different than anything he ever thought it would be. The blood of those hundreds of thousands which drenched the earth stained his hands a deep crimson. 

"We are the only ones to know the screams of the earth and how she weeps. How she cries out because of the spears sticking from her soil and the lifeblood that seeped into her waters." A being not of this world spoke, breaking through the slithering grip of sleep.  
"Only you and I. " It lowered its head. "You must find it in you to wake up." It commanded. "Or the life ahead of you will be filled with a regret greater than you can bear. This senseless bloodshed has to stop."

Wearily he looked up, uncertain of what to make of her. Or of himself. When he looked down he saw something he knew no name for.  
"If I must take you by your hand to guide you than I will." The other beast spoke.  
A light arose, peeling the darkness away and forcing sleep's seductive touch to scurry away and hide. 

From the light leaped a fawn, his coat the color of gold. A buck and a doe flanked it on either side and lovingly guided it along. Through woodlands to mountains, then beyond to the plains. 

The buck fought many in brave shows of strength. The doe kicked any who came near her fawn, their family sticking ever close together as the sun and moon performed a complicated dance in the skies above. Tree's withered and let go of their leaves before snow coated the fields white. Storms whipped them up into vortices's, causing the family to cling together to protect their youngest. Then the snows died down as the sun grew near and caused the fields to bloom. 

The fawn jumped and ran, playing in the fields, only to run when an eagle swooped down and a lion gave chase. Kicking his pursuers, it sought shelter with his father as the eagle swooped down. The buck fought it off with its antlers, chasing the bird of prey off. However, the young fawn was attacked again and again. One day coming home triumphant whilst limping the next. The lands made him feel unwelcome and unwanted. But never was he truly alone, for his parents loved him very much.

"What am I seeing?" He asked the beast beside him.  
"You are dreaming young one." It laughed. "But a dream is better than lazying about like you have been. So I am pleased, for now."

The next moment he looked, the now older fawn looked off to the horizon where a dragon flew.  
The sun rose and set and the land died and renewed. As time passed the fawn's horns grew and his coat began to glow. Then he nuzzled his parent's before parting ways, setting off to the mountains to the west.  
Atop those mountains, he saw the fawn turn into a buck, his antlers wilting, a new set taking their place, one´s so tall that reached for the skies. 

"Why are you grasping for our heart?" The beast asked. He looked down to see a ... a claw, cherishing a stone of red.  
Why did he? And why did it hurt so much?

Amidst a land of trees and lakes, warm winds and seasonal storms, a fully grown buck with a golden coat stood. His antlers rising to the sky. Around him stood others, looking up to him for leadership. Together they ran and ran, fighting off those who came from the south. Those who would do harm. 

He felt the stone in his grasp grow warmer and warmer.  
"There, you are waking up now." The other beast gazed to him, it's form slowly shifting to fit that of a girl. One he knew very well.

"Sothis.."

Bearing a cheeky smile that hid her concern, she reached out to place her hand over his cheek. "I told you we would always be together, didn't I?"

"I-.."

"You thought you had died." She filled in the silence that fell. "You have been thinking that for a long time now. Even by my standards, I do not nap that long." She huffed.  
"Your body is awake and recovered now." She sulked a moment. "It is time to get up, to face your reality. My words earlier were no mere dream." She cautioned. 

"I.. slept..?"

"Yes, must I spell it out for you?" She sighed. "You fell, remember?"

The memory came crashing into him so vividly as if he lived through it a second time. Watching the edge of the cliff get further and further away.  
"You fell." Sothis repeated, now with a more gentle tone. "You cannot keep forgetting that just because it is a painful memory to have." She sulked. "Having lost most of mine, I implore you to treasure it, even if it is painful. For not having any memories left at all is..." She closed her eyes. "It strips away who you are."

He looked to her then, with eyes set in shock as the memories washed over him once again. All of them, one by one.  
"Remember our time in the darkness of Zahrass?" She asked on a mild tone. Remember what you told me? What I asked you to do?”

"I do." He spoke as that memory revisited him again. "I-"

"Good, use that to-" Sothis spoke whilst he looked away, his attention drawn by the sound of the tensing of a bow.  
"-Whatever is more important than-" He shushed her, wandering away to follow this sound of labored breathing and a bow being drawn back.

The moment he saw the hunter, he let his arrow loose. Following its blinding stripe of light, he saw it had struck the golden deer in his shoulder.  
"Oh my-" Sothis looked on whilst he felt the stone in his palm shudder. 

The golden deer ran, but could not find the hunter to skewer him on his horns. Instead, hounds came from the back, drawn by the smell of blood. Yet he ran fast and was well on ahead until another buck got in his way. Legs got tangled in the panicked fray. Then one escaped whilst the hounds sunk their teeth in the golden deer's neck. He tried to kick them, to shake them and bash them against the trees, but his golden coat was stained red.  
Desperately he tried to get back up, to find his footing, but the hounds tore him to shreds before finally the hunter emerged, his knife drawn. The blade sunk into and under its golden fur, taking his life. 

He couldn't tear his eyes away when the hunter skinned it, the stone of his heart red and scorching hot to the touch, it seared into his flesh, burning away everything it touched. 

"I see you have your fair share of sad dreams as well.." Sothis concluded serenely, but Byleth stiffened in a heart-stopping fear.

"Claude."

Beyond a shadow of a doubt he knew, as irrational as it felt, yet he knew this couldn't just be a mere dream. He began to shiver and his breath grew erratic and frantic. His jaws parted to scream but no sound came. Panic beset his mind, flooding it with grief, denial and regret.  
Clutching his heart he screamed. Agonizingly he clawed at that stone in his chest as feelings leaked out of it he had never experienced before. It hurt so much he sunk to his knees, doubled over and hid his head, yet still, the pain did not abate.  
It hurt so much that the world banked hard to the left before reality tore itself apart, shattering the world into millions of purple-hued facets of broken glass.  
Time had frozen to a halt.

"This is the first time you actually managed to use the divine pulse. Many times you have come close to it, but this is the first time. And that because of a dream, no less." Sothis spoke impressed before mellowing her expression. 

Byleth panted, feeling his gut ache now with nausea as well as the nascent pain of his emotions.  
"I have to go back. What I saw, it wasn't a mere dream, Sothis." 

She looked up surprised. "Oh? You believe it to be a vision, then? I did not bestow it upon you." She wondered. "Perhaps you saw it because of our power, after all, you were still connected when you fell." She considered. 

"I cannot let him die." Byleth looked up to her. 

"Well, go on then. You've gotten this far on your own" She smiled. "Alter destiny, bend fate as far as you are able, shape it to the destiny you wish to pursue."

Byleth stared ahead, bracing himself, then reached back into time.

It was as if he had always known how to do this, yet experiencing it felt new. Again and again, the sun made its path through the sky, but this time in reverse. Byleth reached further and further until he could reach no more. 

"It is not a limitless power." Sothis commented. "All you can do is hope you have enough time left."  
Holding time in his hand Byleth cast a last look towards her. 

"Oh, go on. You know I am with you, I am always in your heart."

Then time shattered again, casting him into the darkness below. 

Byleth woke in darkness. No light nor sound permeated through. His body ached, some parts of him hurt worse than dying had felt like. But the worst of it all was that incredible tidal wave of emotions. Grief mingled with agony echoed in his chest, wrenching and slithering into his gut.  
But there was no time to lose, no time to wallow in these feelings. He struggled against the weight holding him down as well as against the siren's call of sleep with all he had. With every last fiber in him, he pushed against the weight pinning him down before finally light broke through.  
White-hot pain shot into his back from a place he knew not where, but he wasn't deterred. Light shimmered on the other side.

Finally, he broke free. Running he saw the boulders in the canyon shoot by as fast as light, until finally, water engulfed him, cushioning his leap.  
Swimming he got up to the surface before finally feeling wet sand at his bare feet and seeing a blue sky above his head.  
It was cold, dreadfully so, but the cold invigorated him too. Sending shivers all throughout his body, from the tips of his toes to his head. Casting his gaze around he saw he had landed in a glacier lake, somewhere amidst the Ohgma mountains. 

The lake was a deep azure blue when kneeling down to drink he saw a giant claw mark below the waterline, seemingly undisturbed and probably as old as time. Right next to it however lay a sword he knew through and through. Reaching for it, he pulled it from the water. The sword of the creator still hummed at his touch.

Dousing his face, he felt the sting of cold now truly chase away the last vestiges of sleep. Affirming this reality, grounding him in through the pain.  
Sitting up, he realized he was as good as naked with nary a scrap of clothing and rusted armor hanging off his body. His hair now hanging to his hips. Gasping he saw the clouds of vapor leave his lips. Frost began to cling to his eyelashes, weighting them down.  
Using the sun he found the south, then from there the east and set himself to walking.

His feet became numb and he slipped often enough to coat his hands and knees in red blisters. The sun now at his back he finally found a small village clinging to the mountainside.  
"Goddess above!" A man hauling firewood exclaimed, near dropping his stack. "Where in creation did you come from?!" He threw his firewood on top of more firewood before turning back to him. "And why are you as naked as the day you were born?!" 

Byleth didn't know an adequate answer to any of those questions, he didn't even manage to open his mouth. He could only manage a meager shrug before casting his eyes downward.  
"Bloody Ailell- get inside-" The man huffed before opening a door. Not ungrateful Byleth followed the man, feeling himself shivering more violently by the second. 

The warmth wrapped around him like a blanket, although his fingers and feet remained numb.  
"Sit by the fire, warm your extremities before you lose them to bloody frostbite." The man issued. Complying he sat down, shivering when he felt his hair wrap around his back.  
A good moment later the man returned with a wooden bowl of hot soup and a wooden crafted spoon. "Eat, you need to warm." He sighed before leaning down and throwing a blanket over him. "I'll get a bath going, then maybe if you are lucky none of your fingers or toes will have frozen off."  
Drawing the blanket closer, Byleth tried to speak, but his throat had sealed. No words came out, no matter how he tried. The hot, potato-based soup, however, slid right in, lighting a fire in his insides. 

A good bath later, Byleth felt human again. Somewhat. Receiving some thick, slightly worn sheep woolen socks alongside a set fur-lined leather pants. A soft feeling tunic was slipped on him before a fur-lined jacket followed, trapping the warmth within.  
"I grew too much to still fit them." The man explained as silence reigned. "The socks used to be from my brother before the war took him five years ago."  
Byleth looked up, a clear question in his eyes.

"We have stories about your kind of people here." The man explained, not seeing the glance. "Men from the mountains, stark naked and near dead. My pa told stories of one man with green hair who visited when he was but a lad. Stories I tell you. I didn't think they were real." The man looked to him. "But there's a thing they say about dragons. A myth if you will. Those who look and see one hiding in the guise of a man, show them favor and the children of your children will be thanked." He gave a shallow laugh. "That's what my pa told me. One way or another I figure he wasn't wrong." The man stared into the fire. "We never lacked, nor starved in winters. Never had a sickness in the family medicine couldn't heal. But it doesn't matter much now." He looked to Byleth, who had been listening all this time.  
"I have no children left anymore, thanks to this war. Five years ago they sacked the monastery up north. Then went on to conquer the world, those Adrestian bastards. They killed my sons..." The man looked forlorn before shaking his head.  
"Go and get some rest. Whatever you maybe."

Only he didn't want to rest. Time wasn't on his side in order to rest. Five years. Too much time had passed.  
Five years.. Byleth realized. The millennium festival-

Getting up he navigated the house, looking for a calendar. Annotated sparsely, he found one.  
"What is it?" The man asked, then Byleth pointed to the calendar as his voice was silent still.  
"You want to know the date?" The man wondered before speaking up. "It's the 30th of the Ethereal moon."

Byleth's eyes dilated as he remembered, he pointed to the mountains before gesturing the symbol representing the crest of Seiros. 

After a few tries the man looked up. "You want to go to the monastery? Are you crazy? I told you that place was sacked five years ago."  
Again, Byleth pointed, schooling his expression into determination.

The man shook his head before suddenly staring at him with a kind of fascinated expression. "Is that-.. you are crying?"  
Byleth reached up, feeling the moisture leak from his eyes. 

Claude was much better at wielding masks than he was. That one memory of them by the hearth in the classroom, that one thought was enough to break the hastily put up wall that kept his emotions in check. A hot pain spread through his chest as his heart grew hot. Yet his jaws would not cooperate, his tongue would not articulate and his throat would produce no sound. 

The man looked to him with a different expression in his eyes then, before he finally let out a sigh.  
"It is your life.." He opened the door before heading to an adjacent building against which he had thrown down the firewood. A good ten minutes later he came out leading a horse. A heavy draft breed meant to pull carts or other heavy loads. "She's your only chance at getting through the pass at this time of year. Head down the walled path and then up in between the twin peaks. Then, if you manage that, take a left. That path will take you to Garreg Mach."

Feeling a surge of gratitude Byleth made a deep bow.  
"Just make sure you bring her back in one piece someday." The man shook his head. Eagerly Byleth mounted the beast before setting off. Waving the man goodbye. The horse was getting on in years but steady and calm, even when faced with flurrying snow and uneasy paths. 

The journey was a challenging one. The path was easy to lose, but the horse remembered her many trips along it, guiding him along until the mountain pass loomed ahead.  
Winds chased down from the mountain flanks, bearing snow and blocking out all darkness, coating the world in a pure white. Yet the horse kept on plowing forward through the waist-deep snow. Higher and ever higher even as the cold crept back into his fingers and toes, curling it's icy fingers around him, sapping him of his warmth. It seemed to take forever before the path finally evened out. 

The whiteout was broken, the setting sun coloring the sky a fiery orange. And high above, as was custom this time a year, Byleth saw the guiding star flicker.  
In the distance, Garreg Mach stood.

The town was near abandoned, save for what few poor souls couldn't afford to leave. It's usually so lively streets stood empty and quiet. Feeling himself near-frozen he still pressed on, guiding his horse onwards to the road up the mountain towards the monastery.  
It was a road littered with the dead. Left unburied for five years, for the scavengers and the vultures to peck apart. Byleth felt an intense painful cramp spread through his chest, one strong enough to make it difficult to breathe. Seeing this road raked up all the memories, which to him felt as if it had happened only a day ago. 

Here and there efforts had been made to make graves, but most of all the bodies still rested under the open starry sky, still wearing their armor. His mount walked carefully, to avoid any spikes or lost weaponry, now rusted to well beyond use.  
Slowly the main gates of the monastery came into view. Ruined and torn down they still stood. In between them the remains of the breached doors.  
Under the sparse moonlight and in the increasing ice-cold winds Byleth found himself looking among the corpses of soldiers, both empire as well as of the knights. Dreading to find that red striped armor Alois always so proudly tended to.  
But it was too dark to properly see, as was perhaps for the better, 

Garreg Mach lay abandoned by nearly all. It's walls now cold and devoid of laughter. Passing by the doors where the imperial army had bust through, Byleth let his gaze roam as the frigid winds finally were cut off by what remained of the monastery's walls. The banners had been torched and the halls stood empty. He steered his horse to what remained of the stables before dismounting and leading her inside before setting out on foot.  
The dining hall was overturned but largely intact. As was the greenhouse, only all life inside had perished. The pond was frozen this time of year, without the necessary mechanisms to keep it warm. The aqueduct had taken a hit of some form of artillery.  
Wandering past the student accommodations he saw them mostly just... abandoned.  
A place once so full of life...

Byleth's felt a sting in his chest, causing him to avert his eyes and pass through the gardens to reach the old classrooms. But there was nothing there no more. 

Trying to control his heart he passed through the great hall to the bridge. Only to stop the moment he had shouldered open the doors.  
The bridge had taken damage, but even more so... the cathedral seemed to have been the focal point of the empire's wrath. The once so beautiful cathedral had been severely damaged. It's stained glass windows had been shattered and massive hole resided in its roof. Crossing the bridge, Byleth felt his heart fall. Shouldering the massive but broken door open he felt a cold shudder worsen him. Mounts of rubble awaited within. Snow had heaped up against the side of the walls. Swallowing thickly, Byleth made his way to the west.  
The goddess tower still stood, largely untouched. Making his way inside he hastened up the steps, wondering if someone would be there.  
Waiting for him. Feeling hopeful his pace picked up. 

A promise made five years ago. To gather here, in Garreg Mach. If they weren't in the classroom then-...

Reaching the top of the flight of stairs an empty, overgrown room stared back at him. Light from the oncoming dawn filtered in through its windows.  
Feeling his heart fall, Byleth turned around, perhaps someone came from behind- but no.  
Restless and distraught he descended the stairs again, making his way across the bridge before ascending the stairs. There was only one place left.

But as he arrived, the library too stood quiet and abandoned, books having been ripped from shelves before dust covered them all. Quietly he tread amidst the books to look for any traces in the dust, any signs of visitors, messages or anything to prove he wasn't all alone.  
With a jerk he looked up, desperately hoping to find him there, with crossed arms leaning on the railing with that grin of his.  
But emptiness greeted him once more. 

The waters of his soul churning, uneasy and undulating with fear, Byleth turned around before setting off. Running throughout the monastery.  
Ascending the stairs he reached the rooftop garden which was covered in snow. He raced to the edge to look upon what remained of his life. Ruins of what once had been such a happy place.  
The promise was left unfulfilled as he waited for anyone to come. His hope faltering and failing the closer the sun came to the horizon, sinking away into the west. 

Lost, Byleth stared ahead, shivering in the cold. 

He looked up to the stars, finding the guiding star. The star upon which they sealed their friendship, an oath spoken so long ago. The star flickered in the sky, unmoving. 

Byleth realized something, willing the words to come out, but his throat remained sealed as if enchanted with a spell. Determination filled him as he headed back down, near falling over his own, numb feet. He sped himself to the library before stepping over the books to head to the cartography section. Digging through the upturned books he found what he needed and through the sparse moonlight he flipped through the pages until he found the one he needed.  
Tearing it out of the book he stashed it before heading back to his father's old room and retrieving his diary, stashing the torn page in there before stashing it back again, safely in his coat.  
Running downstairs he ransacked his room for a few spare gold before finally getting his horse again and setting out. Sparing no time he set out in a canter once he had passed the bridge, heading south, southeast.

Using a lantern in the town below he charted his route, committing it to memory. The road would be long, but he had no time to waste. 

So Byleth rode out, to Derdriu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, thank you so much for reading!  
I hope you liked this new installment, more will soon follow. I have this arc written out, but more will soon to follow. I decided to upload a bit sooner due to the many people being stuck in their houses right now.
> 
> Thank you all for sticking with me. <3 Your support means a lot to me!
> 
> English is not my first language, please forgive me if I mess up my grammar, I am still learning more every day!


	8. Part 3 - Chapter 2

By the time the first light colored the sky, Byleth's hair had defrosted and dried. Having descended for most of the night the temperature had grown quite mild compared to the freezing blizzard that haunted Garreg Mach. Here forests had overtaken the vast mountain meadows. Large flowing hills followed one another, leading to the main thoroughfare he was headed for to cling to the valleys.   
Soon after leaving Garreg Mach Byleth had to temper his speed, lest his horse would tire out too soon. By keeping it in a trot at most for an hour he managed to cross into Gloucester territory.   
By the time the sun had properly risen above the horizon the first town came up and with it the first challenge to overcome.   
At the gates of the small trading town stood men of Gloucester, upholding an imperial banner under the banner of their own house.   
Byleth reigned in his horse before steering it off the road. A cold slithering feeling reared it's head in his innards as he realized the meaning of the double banner. Setting off to what he hoped was a north-east direction he left the main thoroughfare behind.  
He used the knowledge his father imparted upon him to find his bearings without the guiding star to guide him, then consulted his map before setting out through the fields and forests.   
However the closer he came to the more populated part of the land, the more he began to see the signs of war. Happening upon a large field in the noon, he saw lances and spears sticking out of the earth, as well as those who once wielded them being dined on by the crows.   
Byleth dismounted, checking over the soldiers of either side, the stone in his stomach quickly growing heavier by the moment.   
The iconical half-moon graced one banner, whilst the other wore twin banners he had encountered earlier.   
He eyed up the field, figuring from there that the size of this battle hadn't been a simple skirmish between quarreling nobles.   
Dread set into his stomach as he got back onto his horse, forcing it into a hasty trot. 

As night fell, Byleth had been hoping that perhaps that battle had been an exception. But the setting of the sun and the oncoming darkness of night revealed the truth as he found himself upon a hilltop.   
All around him to the north, fire's lit the sky. It was too distant to see what they were, but the exact definition wasn't necessary. Byleth felt his stomach turn when he realized.   
Either people were building funeral pyre's.. or the villages had been turned into funeral pyre's.   
Forcing himself to press on, he set off north-ward again.   
Some part of him had hoped that the vision he had seen was just a dream. Inconsequential and irrelevant.   
However as he passed by the sites of battles and raids alike, he more and more realized that wasn't the case. This was real, what he had seen- would become real. Had.. become real. Losing what little grip on his emotions that he had left he spurred his horse into a canter.   
Fuelled by the countless memories and his overwhelming emotions he lost all sense of himself.   
That moment when he had lost his father. When he had tried to use the power over time Sothis had granted him and failed. It revisited him again and again, ingraining into him the fear of losing others. It blinded him.

As morning finally dawned the cold clutches of fear hadn't released him, however, his horse had slowed in step, exhausted by the long run. Byleth dismounted and took off running, leaving the horse near the outskirts of a village. But his lungs too couldn't sustain a long run. Spotting a tethered horse in the village he ran through, he grabbed its lead before jumping on its back. Only by the time he exited the village did he hear shouting in the distance. 

As the sun climbed high his blood still burned in his veins. Signs of war were all around him. He passed by the alliance's second-biggest city, the smoke rising from it blotted out the sun. At some point he stopped navigating by his map and just followed the road. Until finally, when the skies turned golden, there stood the capital city.

His horse whipped his head up as Byleth drove it forward. A part of him wondered where the imperial camp must be, and why they hadn't blockaded the city- only to have this inquiry's answered when he came upon Derdriu's gates.  
They were guarded by Imperial soldiers, bearing the imperial twin-headed eagle banner. Beneath their feet lay a muddied, bloodied banner bearing the double crescent of house Riegan. Frozen on the back of his horse, the realization slammed into him.   
Windows had been shattered, smoke rose to the sky. Once through the gates, collapsed houses coated in ash stood as a centerpiece at the gate square.   
In the center of the square, a head stood displayed on a pike. Its haunting eyes slammed into Byleth's soul even though they belonged to a stranger.  
The world began listing to the left, but his grasp was feeble, still weakened. Then a passing conversation broke what hold he had left.

"I cannot believe it, the day is here but surely the goddess wouldn't allow a good man like him to fall." The conversation came from behind him, but Byleth was frozen still.   
"It seems in this day and age, even good men fall. Poor duke Riegan, for his son to-"

A scream cut off the rest of the conversation, coming from a woman held at lance point by strange-looking imperial troops. Byleth's eyes riveted to her before nudging his horse aside. The strange tension in the city became ever clearer as hushed crying and incessant whispering was yelled at by the occupying imperial troops. 

"You there, keep moving!" One of them yelled in his direction. Byleth pushed his legs to his horse's flank, urging it into the main street. People walked hushed and fast, shutters remained closed, and those who did dare to walk the streets were dressed in austere, dark colors.   
Byleth's head reeled and panic gripped his heart, causing his blood to run cold. His hands began to shake and his sword hand rested shuddering on the hilt of his blade which was concealed beneath his coat. His nerves grew as tense as the city felt and his stomach and chest cramped hard, sending stabs of pain through him. His horse near bunny-hopped in a slow canter from the tension, throwing his head up again and again.  
His deepest fear grew more real and real by the minute.   
Wanting to scream he sent his horse forward, his eyes flitting in between the faces of those who dared to traverse the streets.   
Finally, he cast his eyes to the palace above the city, spotting trails of smoke coming from it. Slightly below, proudly stood the blood-red flag of the empire. 

Then something just snapped within him. A fire lit within, a fire which flashed into an infernal blaze of fury. An emotion so new, so foreign to him it consumed him whole. 

Spurring his horse into a full-blown canter he tore through the streets, causing the people to leap to the sides for safety. Blazing he turned the final corner before galloping straight into a line of empire soldiers, treading them underfoot. In front of him, the entire main square was filled with masses of people, as well as built tribunes for some kind of event, the Imperial banner flying high above their heads.  
Panic broke out behind him and all around him with the alarm being sound. Screaming the public scattered to the side scrambling for safety. 

Seething, Byleth drew his sword of the creator and called upon the well of strength that resided within him, calling upon the power of the crest of flames. With no eye for consequence or collateral damage, he charged into the crowd before finally reaching out with his inner eye and gaining a wide view of the area, causing one of four figures on the stage to suddenly turn around on his heels. Somewhere far back in Byleth's mind, he felt something click, but his anger blinded him from all.   
The setting sun's golden rays bathed the now chaotic sight in a low, blinding light from the west, blinding Byleth for just a moment. Looking away he saw the stage in more detail.

It wasn't one for plays or speeches.

It was for an execution. Looking up, one of the four still couldn't tear his eyes off of him. For a moment Byleth wondered before his eyes dilated and his breathing just... stopped.   
Everything just stopped. Almost as if spellbound Byleth stiffened as his throat swelled up. 

'Claude...'

Then horror struck the other's face, and a second later a white-hot pain bored it's way into his side, throwing him from his horse and onto the ground. Gasping he tried to raise his sword. However before he could amount to much he spotted the butt end of a sword coming for his head, after which only darkness followed. 

He woke to a spray of saltwater washing down his face. Looking up he saw nothing but the light of a glass-encased torch and the pale light of the moon shining through a barred up window. The smell of urine and sweat mixed with the saline smell of the sea served as a poignant reminder of his failure. Trying to turn his head he gasped as a white-hot pain spread through his side again. Clutching it he felt shoddily applied bandages circling his waist. Both his diary and his sword were gone, his hands bound. Exhaling painfully slow, he cast his eyes to the ceiling before letting his head loll forward.   
His now dark-rimmed eyes slowly closed again, his head thumping with pain where he had been struck. Lifting his hands he felt crusted blood running past his temple and forehead. Managing to utter a groan he let his head fall back against the brickwork in defeat.  
In the absence of his all-consuming anger and wrath now only a hollow feeling of regret remained. The relief he had felt upon seeing his friend again had almost entirely been overshadowed by the realization of just how bad his anger had blinded him. 

The perpetual darkness paired with the lack of excited voices droning in the distance allowed a small part of him to hope that the execution hadn't resumed. His nerves coiled around his stomach as his mind wandered to envision how a night-time execution would look like.  
Closing his eyes he reached inward, looking to activate his crest's power and see. His breath grew fast as the power he sought did not come easily. His sight was muddled at best, but it was enough. He found unfortunate souls and thieves alike, locked beside him in what had to be the Derdriu central prison. Casting his gaze further, he felt a familiar tingle, far off and just out of reach. Pushing his ability to the limit he tried to follow it but an ear-piercing headache split his head, blotting out all sight.   
Dizzy and worn he gasped for breath, tasting the prison's filth on the back of his tongue.   
Desperation coiled further within him, strangling his insides and wrapping around his spine. His eyes flitted from the door to the rest of the cell, looking for a way out or a plan, anything at all. But the darkness stared back at him, and silence kept his ear. His blood flowed faster and his breath was drawn deeper and more uneven as he tried to get up. But he was forced back to his knees thanks to the spear wound in his side. Falling to the floor he saw nothing but an absolute darkness, much like that cursed place.   
Sothis' words came back to him. Her scolding and consolements, her jests and tender words. 

It took the power of a god to escape Zahras. 

Looking up he bit on his lip as he forced himself back on his feet. Closing his eyes he listened and prayed, in silence. A prayer for his other half, who now was a part of him. 

He didn't know how much time had passed the next time he woke up. All he knew was that his side now was hurting less, the sharpness of the pain had turned into a dull droning. His lips clung together and his eyelids slided sluggishly over his eyes as he craved a drink of fresh water. No festive sounds came from above yet, he heard nothing but the ceaseless crashing of the waves.

Until lumbering footsteps came through the corridor, stopping before his cell. With what sparse light there was, Byleth spotted the city's emblem on the guard's pauldron. Options raced through his head, but the man already spoke. 

"Up." He insisted, impatiently waiting for Byleth to obey. 

Carefully he counted the doors they passed as the man guided him along. The hall was shabby but clean and the further they went the less the smell of urine and feces clogged the air.   
"In here." The guard pushed a wooden door open that led into a chamber where another man was waiting for him.   
Sitting down as fast as he reliably could, the other man introduced himself.  
"I am Metodey and the reason I am here in this lousy prison today is you. Aren't you special?" He kept a mask of an easy, haughty grin. "And what may you be?" He inquired, remaining standing all the while.  
Byleth would answer him but his voice refused to obey. Words did not come. A cold began to creep through his chest as the man grew more and more annoyed by this fact.   
"I see. Well, I wouldn't be very good at my job if I were to leave and let bygones be bygones now would I?" He cocked his head sideways. "We have methods to make things like you talk."   
Byleth felt his blood run cold.

The ice-cold sea-water sent a bolt through his body, especially when it seeped into the bandages around his wound. It would be enough to cause him to collapse if he hadn't been bound with both hands above his head. His feet slipped on the algae-covered floor.   
"So, your name, if you'd please."  
The pointed question lingered in the air a moment before Byleth recognized the sound of a bullwhip being spun. The first time he just cracked it right beside him, causing him to consider for a moment whether torture would loosen his tongue from its spell or not.   
The second the next hit bit into his skin his answer was given, nothing came past his lips but a pained burst of soundless air.  
Metodey kept asking questions, but as his silence remained absolute, the pain followed, again and again. Byleth felt himself slip into a kind of trance.   
Sothis' words passed by his mind before his eyes near rolled back into his head. Unintendingly, the world opened up around him as the mist that had fogged his inner eye dissipated. A fierce pain shot through his back and around his side, making him grasp that power and he tore himself away from that room. If only in spirit.

Far away, in a secluded and locked room, a man turned around as if called. His chair falling backward and bouncing off the wooden floor.   
"Byleth-!"

Exasperated he looked up to his name, coming eye to eye with Claude. He stiffened as relief coursed through him on seeing his friend still alive. "Claude.." Relief and joy mixed with pain and worry cascaded over him, leaving Byleth trapped like a fish on a hook, not knowing how to handle those overwhelming emotions. 

"I hear you, where are you?!" The half-Almyran said whilst feeding stress and worry into their connection.   
Only then did Byleth notice that it was through the power of his crest that they could speak. Somehow he had reached him. 

"I am in a sea-side prison somewhere in Derdriu." Byleth finally found it in himself to answer. He realized his words came freely when not spoken aloud.   
"Are you alright?" 

"I should ask you that!" The other spoke whilst pacing in his room and endlessly rolling a game-piece in between his fingers. 

Too stunned by his emotions, Byleth dropped his guard and felt the sharp sting of the whip.  
"I'll be okay-" He focussed himself through the pain, grinding his molars together.   
He fought to keep the connection going but found his strength hadn't yet waned.   
The next hit Metodey dealt him curled into his wound, causing Byleth to unconsciously grasp at their connection. 

In a moment of broken time, it allowed him to see the other.  
Claude looked so much older now, with his cheek line now showing a thin beard. He looked.. so much wearier than before. Bags under his eyes gave away how draining the last years had to have been. It caused Byleth's chest to cramp even more, squeezing the stone that was his heart. 

A high pitched ringing filled his mind, aching more and more as it grew louder. One last strike from Metodey's whip and the connection shattered, landing Byleth back in his bruised body. The ringing did not cease but instead became the interlude for a blinding headache which dragged him back under and into the embrace of sleep.

The next time he woke it wasn't in his cell, or in the room Metodey had interrogated him, but rather a room with a plastered ceiling and white walls. Shivering he turned his head which felt bruised at best, to see a healer and a surgeon cleaning up their tools.   
"Consider yourself lucky, lord Arundel wishes to see you." One of the mages spoke with a distressed look on her face. 

"With that man, don't consider yourself anything but dead." The surgeon spoke, granting Byleth a brief moment of eye contact. "We fixed you up enough so you don't bleed on the carpets or die before lord Arundel has dealt you your judgment." He informed him before two guards entered and without a word hauled him onto his feet. 

"May the goddess have mercy on your soul." One of the mages sighed softly as she turned her eyes away, her hands fumbling a tassel of her overcoat. 

Byleth was wondering whether the events that took place during the interrogation had actually happened or whether they had all been a dream. There was no way of knowing for sure, his head still felt much like a crab cooked in its shell. A nascent pain drew its path through his head much like ripples of a rock thrown in a pond, but his side at least felt better now. Only his back was angry aglow with red raised flesh and bloody stripes. 

The dead man's garb they gave him stained red the moment it touched his back, sending ripples of pain up his spine. But no sooner had he dressed decently before he was marshaled out and into the blinding morning sun that stood low over the ocean.   
Fresh snow decorated the shadows of Derdriu, melting where the sun touched the stone. The waters of the sea churned restlessly under the docks where he walked, towards the grand palace.   
Looking upon the building, however, Byleth's mood lifted. Wordlessly his lips parted, allowing puffs of vapor to escape. As they approached, he inhaled deeply, finding his center he readied himself for the things to come.

The palace at Derdriu wasn't a place he had ever seen from the inside before. Compared to Garreg Mach it was impressive but not as grandiose as the monastery. Rare colors decorated the halls to show off the wealth of its original occupants. Paintings and armors, ancient weapons as well as wall tapestries that reached three floors high, it was an impressive sight.   
Byleth looked up whilst he was guided through the finely decorated halls. His captors, however, grabbed him by his hair and jerked his head down before grasping his wrists and locking them in restraints.   
"Be quiet and be respectful, then you will have a shot at a swift death." One of the guards spoke, his eyes deep and shelled over. Being pulled onto his feet he was guided down more corridors before being ushered into a blindingly light hall.   
The massive space was three stories high and filled with chandeliers and people. Incense clouded the smell of, what Byleth believed to be, dark magic. As he was marshaled further into the center of the room, the air quietened. Conversations turned hushed and died out fast. Many stared, others averted their gaze. Slowly the masses moved to the sides of the room, finally allowing Byleth to see the lord.   
The lord of Arundel sat on a throne which was placed on a plateau on the far end of the room. Above it hung the proud flag of the Empire, with below the charred remains of golden fabric.  
Only now, when the lord's personnel stepped forward with a scroll in his hand, did Byleth notice the subtle but very present means of security that the lord had placed in the room. Interspersed between the 'guests' stood men with strange hoods, casting a watchful gaze. Now, they formed a line, isolating the guests from the barren center where he was presented to the lord.  
Looking down, he saw that the place he stood was barren of the carpets that graced the rest of the room. One slow blink later, he realized why, as the stone floor was stained. Looking up he felt his blood pump a mile a minute.

"Honored guests of the empire." The crier began. "Behold the judgment of the lord of Arundel. Behold the fate of those who go against the empire!"  
Muted gasps and mumbling rose up in between the guests before the lord himself stood, forcing them back to silence. 

"Tell me, what is it you had hoped to achieve with your brazen act?" He asked, amusement lilting in his voice. His sharp eyes drilled into him as if he vivisected him where he stood.   
Yet Byleth knew it was a foolish act to try. His tongue was locked as if bound by a spell.   
So he did the only thing he could and answered his stare as unyielding as he could.  
Not liking his silence, the lord gestured with his hand. Before Byleth could wonder what it meant, a fierce kick came to the back of his knee, forcing him to kneel where so many others had died.   
"I cannot help but feel that your reckless attempt was more than that." The lord sneered. "You will pay for defying the empire, but first there is something I must ascertain." He grinned, sending a chill down Byleth's spine.   
"Bring our royal captive. We will see how deep this resistance has festered. "  
Byleth felt his breath hitch. Something the lord took for fear, judging by his laughter. It was in fact adrenaline as Byleth's mind got to work. Looking around he caught just a glimpse of a lock of white hair. He riveted his gaze to where he had seen it before finally making out a young woman struggling her way to the front of the crowd.   
Looking the other way he sought for any more familiar faces, enough members of his class are nobility, so the chances of them being here weren't small. Instead, however, he saw someone else being guided into the room. His chest clenched as he recognized his childhood friend. 

All movement in the hall ground to a halt. The sight his eyes saw, now stained in purple hue's, pictured thousands of expressions. Each one unique, and widely varying of its neighbor. Ranging from shock to sadness, to indifference and hate. All of them fixated on the man being guided inside. One such expression, filled with powerlessness and despair belonged to the white-haired woman he knew all too well.   
There was no time left, it demanded to keep moving and his grip on the ancient magic grew harder to maintain. Like stallion it charged forward, breaking free from its hold, lurching him back into reality. 

Recognition flickered over the half-Almyran's face. For the briefest of moments, cold shock met joy, but as instantaneous as it had come, it vanished as well.   
Turning around Byleth looked for any clues in the lord's expression, but the man guarded his face well. His lips drawn in a cold smile he stepped past Byleth. 

"Don't you have any words of gratitude to say?" Lord Arundel tilted his head as he addressed Claude. "Afterall you do owe the last hours of your life to this-.." He gestured to Byleth.

His breathing grew rapid as his face broke the silent stare of the other, his eyes filled with a thousand words. Byleth couldn't bear it. He couldn't let himself fall into emotions like that again.

"You do know that mowing over my gate guards is a crime, right?" Claude's voice pierced the stress-filled silence, sounding as easy-going as ever. It lurched Byleth from his stressed attempts of coming up with a plan. Those green eyes met with his own again, locking Byleth out from forming any coherent thought beside sheer silent panic.  
Lord Arundel grinned amused. "My, how interesting." He chuckled thinly, venom oozing beyond his words. "Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to demonstrate what happens to those who chose to oppose the empire." The man turned around and circled Claude before setting his gaze on Byleth. 

"Hey, come now. You will gain nothing from sullying this place with blood." Claude tried, his calm facade cracked under the weight and his voice pitch struggled to remain the same.  
"Words will not save you, nor anyone else." Lord Arundel adjusted his gloves before stepping into Byleth's space. Unsheathing his blade, Byleth's mind remained blank - no matter how he struggled against this shock - it did not budge. 

"Farewell, fell star." Arundel whispered. 

Those words slammed into him, sending his mind reeling with the shocking realization that followed. Cold sweat broke out but was quickly followed by a boiling hot sensation that flooded his every sense.   
Steel touched his neck, pausing for just the moment to allow the man to gloat. Panic flipped into something far more primal. 

Instinct took over, Byleth let go of his fear, throwing himself forward and into the man. Raising his hand at the same time he drew upon the source of his power at the center of his chest.   
He drew on the stone that was his heart and leaped into the power that welled up, causing a blinding flash to shoot out of him as his mind's eye opened.   
Untrained raw magic spat out of his palm, striking the man in his face. As Arundel stepped back Byleth lurched forward a second step, grabbing onto his saber by the blade and guard before tearing it out of his grip.  
Stepping back he turned around, finding Claude bearing a haunted look on his face.   
"Claude!" He yelled via his mind's eye before immediately thereafter throwing the blade in a high arc through the air. 

With a swift move, the other caught the blade and thrust it around his back, bringing down one of Arundel's guards before spinning around and dropping the second one. He dropped down and grabbed one of their swords, chucking it back to Byleth, who caught it and immediately had to make use of it to block one of Lord Arundel's mercenaries. 

"We're outnumbered-!" Byleth heard, either mentally or physically whilst he was driven back parrying two blows.   
A thud against his back told him Claude wasn't faring any better than him. Locked back to back they struggled just to keep the enemy's steel from their throats. All the while panic filled the room.   
Byleth bit back as he braced himself on his heels to help the other parry a heavy axe blow before he had no choice but to lurch forward and take out the archer who was ready to fire. The Riegan noble ducked out of the way with a roll before suddenly a massive axe cleaved an incoming mercenary in two. 

The pink-haired woman wielding it greeted them with a grin. "You two are making me work, you know?" She swung her axe low, cleaving a man's abdomen open.   
Byleth rolled out of the way of a spear before a shot of magic seared past him, putting one of the archers on fire. Following where the shot came from Byleth couldn't help but sigh in relief. 

"We don't have long until they will storm this place." Lysithea spun up another one of her magics before ending another woman's life with them. 

"Everyone-" Byleth wondered and reached out with his crest's power. One by one he found familiar faces.

"Marianne is-.. in the stables?-"

"Yes, getting horses ready for you two. I knew you would come up with something professor, so I did some work as well." The young white-haired mage spoke as she roasted a heavily armored soldier. 

Byleth sunk his blade into a mage before leaping forward and blocking a swipe of a sword meant for Claude's back.   
"Leonie and Ignatz-?" Byleth asked before mentally being answered by the redhead herself. 

"Lysithea said you two would need to flee to safety. Just hang in there long enough and we will get you two out."

Claude shot the bow that Lysithea had thrown him to fell an axe-wielding mercenary on a beeline for Byleth. 

"Claude!" Byleth gasped, out of breath. "We need to flee if we are to survive- the enemy is bringing reinforcements. There is no chance of us holding the palace on our own!" Byleth's felt his strength wane due to the sheer exhaustion as he was forced to roll out of the way of a blade before an arrow found his side. Wincing he got himself up and charged the archer. 

"There is no other option than to run?" Claude asked while taking aim. 

"That is the idea-" Lysithea was getting paler as she spent most of her energy. "This man has forces throughout all alliance territories, just in case this would happen." She grimaced.

Byleth cast a look towards his friend.   
"There is only one place left for us to go." He held his gaze.   
The other didn't need clarification and shook his head. Frustration evident. 

"If we keep fighting we will truly die!" Byleth felt his composure slip, causing the other to suddenly rear his head in worry. He answered his stare with his own before uttering a promise.  
"We will return, and when we do, we will tear the empire down." Byleth promised. The veracity of his own words surprised him.   
It had surprised the half-Almyran as well, only for a smile to break through that weary face a moment later. 

"Leave it to teach to make a dramatically late entrance." 

The brief moment was however interrupted as a new wave of infantry burst through the doors. Looking inward Byleth saw that they weren't the last of the reinforcements either, not by a long shot. Gritting his teeth together he charged into the fray alongside Hilda and Lysithea, leaving Claude to fire his shots in between them. 

In the midst of the fighting, Byleth felt a tug in his mind, realizing it to be Leonie, in the company of Marianne and Ignatz.

"We need to move." He cast his gaze to Claude, who had run out of arrows and had joined the melee. 

"Right, follow me, everyone. Watch out for the doors-" The man took the lead in pushing back the mercenaries. 

"What about lord Arundel?" Hilda asked, bringing the man back to Byleth's mind. 

"Unreachable I think." He frowned on the troubled revelation. "Don't count him out. Be on your guard, everyone." He warned, his ears now ringing with a high pitched sound due to the extensive use of his mind's eye. 

The struggle down the corridors was hard. Scrapes and cuts covered everyone by the time they reached the doors. Fighting towards it more people seemed to join the melee. Once they stepped outside, however, the skies above Derdriu bore the smoke of fires all across town. 

"What in Ailell?!" Claude cursed, visibly shaken.   
Byleth spoke up as soon as the answer had come to him from Raphael, who was securing the eastern gates for them.

"The town is rioting, they are trying to help you make your escape." Byleth spoke without his lungs or lips. "We need to hurry before Arundel can bring in any other forces than the mercenaries he has hired."

"Right-" Claude spoke, his gaze lingering on the town. 

"Professor!" Leonie's call grabbed his attention. Across the chaos-endowed square came Ignatz and Leonie holding two uneasy horses by their reins.   
"It's good to see you, I knew you were alive." She grinned before Ignatz handed them a set of packs. 

"I am so glad that you both survived this ordeal."

"Don't jinx it." Leonie interjected. 

"Ah- right. We will help you get out of town, but you must hurry. Messengers have gone to summon reinforcements and we don't know how long we can keep the gate open for you to leave."

"Reinforcements, for the four of us?" Claude tried for levity but it fell flat. "I am positively flattered-" He grimaced instead as Lonie helped steady his horse. 

"Just promise us you will come back." Hilda spoke. "We need our Mr.Leader-man."

"I promise. Thank you, all of you." Claude spoke with a mix of emotions on his face. "Just sit tight and wait for us." He smiled with the help of his mask.   
Byleth now sat atop his horse and adjusted a large travel cape over his head. 

Exhausted he whispered through the connection.   
"We need to go."

"Right. Hang tight." The man let his mask slip a second as he drove off. Byleth following in his wake. 

The streets of Derdriu flew past until a sea-side gate greeted them, filled with men on horseback and donning black armor.   
"Oh ailell-" Claude halted his horse but it was too late. One of the group of cavaliers broke off and approached them.  
"Lorenz." Claude frowned, his tone dropping. 

"Claude, Professor." The Gloucester noble spoke with a painfully neutral face. "It is good to see you both. Only it is unfortunate that our reunion has to happen during such tumultuous time."

"Lorenz, I have no time for this." Claude said. "As you undoubtedly understand, we are in a hurry, so please have your men move to let us pass."

The brevity in Claude's voice was new to Byleth, yet Lorenz's reaction wasn't like anything he had seen before, either.   
"I understand." The Gloucester noble spoke. "But there is something I must do first." 

He saw his friend's expression change from cold anger to confusion. Lorentz rode up to them, bearing in his left hand two distinct relics. The cavalier held out the sword of the creator to Byleth, who, whilst visibly confused, accepted the blade. 

Circling their back he offered Claude a relic bow with a matching quiver of arrows.   
"Wagering a guess as to where you will be going, I think you may have need of them." Finally, he handed another item from his saddlebag to Byleth. A leather bundle. 

"Lorenz-..?" Claude gazed at the man, who now bore a conflicted emotion. Not understanding he let his eyes roam over the relic. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"Consider it-.. no." Lorenz shook his head. "Because I still think of you as my friend, Claude. Despite the events that transpired." The noble frowned.   
"I never chose to be part of my father's scheme."

Stunned into silence the other simply shook his head a moment before the Gloucester noble continued.  
"I promise to tell you all that transpired when you get back and the Riegan flag once-more flies over Derdriu." The man gestured, causing his knights to scatter to both sides of the gate.   
"Farewell, both of you. I will await your return. "   
Byleth reached out, grasping the half-Almyran's shoulder to shake him loose from his thoughts.   
"With the professor at your side I know you will be fine." Lorenz smiled as the pair passed him by. 

Claude gazed back over his shoulder as they finally passed through the gate. Byleth, however, urged his horse into a canter and drew Claude's steed along, jarring the other from his ruminations. 

"Whoah-!" He grabbed a hand full of mane. Byleth then set the pair of horses into a full-blown gallop off the hardened road.   
"Byleth?" Claude asked as he regained his balance. 

"No time." Or so his lips read but no sound followed his intent. The wind streamed around them as the horses gained speed. 

"I didn't catch that." Claude frowned before steering his horse around a thicket of trees.  
Grimacing, Byleth drew upon his strength yet again, finding it had nearly run dry. 

"There is no time, we are being pursued." He clung to the mental link to make his words heard. Laying low to dodge some over-hanging branches he pushed his heels into the horse's flank. 

"How far behind us are they?" The other asked. 

Frustrated and fielding an impressive headache now, Byleth held up four fingers. 

"Four?" The other asked confused. "Four pursuers?"

Byleth felt a droplet run down his lips and rubbed it away with his sleeve, leaving a bloody stain. Instead of answering he pointed to the east before urging his horse off and into the woods. The low hanging branches scraped his shirt into ribbons as they pressed on. 

"Byleth stop!" The other called from behind when the sun threatened to set and the cold of the night crept down from the mountains ahead. He hadn't much choice, with how his horse was about to drop down of exhaustion. The other's horse wasn't doing well either, yet the half-Almyran drove up beside him.   
"My friend-" 

Byleth lifted his head, meeting that weary and concerned stare of his. His lips moved, but the sound that came from his throat was nothing but a soft hiss. Byleth lifted up a hand, trying to gesture, but that alone was enough to tip his balance with how exhausted he felt. Stumbling he managed not to tumble off his horse, but he did fall when his feet hit the earth. 

The toll that was due had to be paid eventually. All the use of his mind's eye, as well as the stress and the combat just slammed into him, throwing him on his behind. Falling back into the grass he could do nothing but breathe as it washed over him, completely draining him of what little energy he had left.

"Byleth-" Another set of feet hit the ground before a concerned face came into view. "Really." He sighed before a smile followed. "Well, I guess this is a place as good as any to sit out the night." The man sat beside him. "Though, if we stay here we will be frozen solid come sunrise." He shifted his weight, looking at him. Byleth wasn't just about capable of anything other than existing yet...   
"I'll see about getting a fire going, you aren't looking too well so just rest."

A dragon and a stag rested together as the howling winds from the east blew down upon the earth. Wounded and exhausted they both slept, praying to the goddess above no wolves would find them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was so hard to get right. I spent weeks on it. I think I am finally happy with the way it came out. A lot happened, I wanted to make their reunion something special and added a good dose of ye olde drama.   
I hope you like it too. Long live the Golden Deer! o// 
> 
> Stay safe in these difficult times <3 
> 
> **Authors tibbid: **
> 
> Byleth began as a blank unfeeling slate. Claude and the rest of the deer-kids made him a lot of different feelings. But he hasn't discovered everything yet. Here is his first brush with rage and despair. Coupled with his self-perceived 'failure' during the battle for Garreg Mach, makes him very emotionally unstable. Resulting in, well, everything that happened above. He is damaged and needs to heal before he is back to his usual demeanor. And Byleth isn't the only one...


	9. Part 3 - Chapter 3

Haunted by ill dreams, Byleth found himself alive once again, staring into a starry night sky. Every bone in his body ached, yet when he looked to his right, the pain was forgiven and justified, for beside him slept a half-Almyran whilst clutching his bow.   
The fire still burned, chasing off the worst of the cold and illuminating their faces, revealing the damage five years of warfare could inflict on his dearest friend's face.  
No matter how tired he felt and how much his body hurt, he couldn't help but smile. Relief flooded through him, making him feel better than even the best of healing magics.   
Silently, he offered his gratitude to the being with which he now shared a soul. 

Struggling to get up, he bit through the pain of his sore muscles and his torn up skin, before tossing some more wood onto the fire to keep it burning.   
Beside him, two packs rested, as well as the sword of the creator and that leather bundle Lorentz had given him. Uncovering it, his diary appeared. It's strings tied with the same knot as if never opened by foreign hands.   
The urge to write down all that had happened struck him, but his dried lips and hunger proved more prevalent. Rummaging through the packs he uncovered a kettle and a field bottle with water. As well as a set of tea-satchels. 

Having found a worn smile, he set the kettle on the stones in the campfire before pouring water in it, then waited for it to come to a boil.   
He leaned to the right then, to check on his friend, who was soundly asleep. Carefully Byleth took the padding of his saddle, which had been thrown over a close-by rock, and made a makeshift pillow for the other to rest on before pulling him sideways to lay him down properly. His back ached from the exertion, but the pain didn't hold up against the satisfaction of seeing his best friend rest easy.   
Finally, he covered him with his travel cape before taking out his diary and setting his quivering, cut up fingers to attempt to write anything remotely legible.

**Sometime in the guardian moon, 1185. Clear skies. **   
_I have slept for five years after my fall. _

His writing came slow and looked messy, his hand hurt, yet he pressed on. The fire giving him just enough light to see.

_I revisited Garreg Mach at the date millennium festival. No one was there. I headed for Derdriu and I found the scars of war scarring the land.  
Derdriu had fallen. I lost myself. _

Byleth stared, watching the ink dry as he recalled the last days. His quill trembled in his grip. 

_I almost died. Then I found Claude, still alive. I dreamed he had died. _

As memories assaulted him he was forced to shake his head and stare at the trees to find his calm again before crossing out the last sentence. 

_We fought, Hilda, Lysithea.. everyone from our class helped us escape. We ran until we could run no more. The horses are exhausted. We are exhausted. But we survived this long. We will not die now._

He finally concluded and tucked his quill away. The kettle began to sing, so Byleth took it off the fire with a cloth and set his diary aside before he fetched two cups. Looking over his shoulder the other was still asleep. So he poured a cup of the strong, Gloucester tea and sat back, nursing it in between his two aching hands.

The hot tea warmed his insides with every gulp. Sitting back Byleth let his muscles relax and drain from tension whilst he watched over his sleeping friend.

The first signs of his waking came when the moon was at it's highest. A single twitch of his muscles, followed by his eyes moving under his eyelids. It brought back a profound sense of nostalgia for Byleth.   
Slowly he watched those green eyes open, looking at the fire. A rare moment it was when his face was so unguarded. When he let his true emotions slip through, causing him to look exhausted both physically and mentally. 

Moving himself forward, Byleth poured a cup of tea, instantly gaining Claude's attention. Yet as sudden as the other moved, Byleth continued pouring the hot water into the mug before facing his friend and offering it to him.   
"Drink, it will make you feel better." His voice came out on a hiss. A whisper, barely loud enough to be heard.   
For a moment longer those green eyes pierced his own. Wondering whether the person they saw was real or not. 

"Byleth." Claude shifted, not moving to accept the tea just yet. Unrelenting in his gaze, the half-Almyran's expressions followed on one another at a rapid rate before he finally opened his lips again.

"You really suck at rescues, you know that?"

Both surprised and a bit miffed at his friends' words, Byleth was short for words a moment before his face drew into a scowl. At his best hoarse, whisper voice he answered him.  
"The next time I am in need of a rescue, you can show me how good yours are."

For a moment the half-Almyran's face didn't give a wince.  
"You have a deal." He batted back. Only for his face to break into a smile as bright as the sun a second later.   
Byleth could only shake his head as his own smile bled through his attempt at stoicism. His chest began to shiver before it twitched and tremored in what Byleth recalled Claude named as a bout of laughing. The tea spilled to the earth before he could finally set the cup down. 

A hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing the bruised muscle before the two looked to one another again. Byleth felt a tugging in his stone of a heart and reached back, clasping the other's shoulder before drawing him in close akin to what his father used to do.  
Claude wrapped an arm around Byleth's shoulder, and Byleth clasped his arm around the other's back in a leaning embrace.   
Warmth swarmed Byleth, causing his chest to cramp and his body to shiver as fingers dug into fabric and skin.   
"I've missed you." The other spoke, his voice convoluted of emotion.   
"I-" Byleth struggled to utter any sound at all remotely close to his thoughts. "-missed you too."

After a last deep breath, the two let go and sat back again. 

"So, where were you the last five years?" The other asked, picking up the tea to cup the mug in between his hands. "And what in Ailell happened to your voice?"  
Wishing to spare his vocal cords and foster their healing, Byleth reached inward. Using his crest still caused a distant drone, but as soon as he limited the scope to only one person, the pain grew distant and faded with the background aches.   
"I think I died." Byleth answered, lips not moving. "I haven't been able to speak ever since waking again. Those words you heard me speak, are my first."

"You mean to say, you died and then got better?" Claude asked with a joking intonation which hid a far more serious tone underneath.

"I did, I think. I don't remember anything more than some vivid dreams, and eventually waking up at the bottom of the cliff." Byleth stared into the fire, but as the silence stretched on he shook his head.  
"I was found wandering the Oghma mountains, the woodcutter who saved me from a cold grave then told me the date." he looked up to his friend.   
"I made for Garreg Mach." Complicated emotions surged through Byleth's chest. "It lies in ruins.." He let his tone wander into silence.

"Yeah, a lot has happened since you.. well, slept." Claude spoke the word reluctantly. His gaze stretched ahead for thousands of miles, or so Byleth thought as he saw the man's mask drop. 

"When I didn't find you-" Byleth spoke up to break that painfully lonely stare of the other. "-I figured something must have happened. So I set out for Derdriu." He opened his diary at the cover to unfurl a worn piece of paper from its built-in envelope.   
"I rode directly south before finding the foothills, and then the main causeway towards Myrdin." Byleth's expression fell before he looked up, finding he had earned the other's attention.

"When I passed by one of the cities lining it, I saw the imperial flag. Initially, I hoped I was in Leicester territory still, I could easily have gotten lost." He looked back to the torn map. "But as I rode further north-east I ran into more and more signs of battle. I-" He hesitated as he wondered how to describe the choking feeling that had taken hold of him on his journey. 

The other waited patiently, sipping his tea intermittently whilst also eying the horses every now and then.   
"-I think I was worried." He recalled Sothis's words. "The closer I got to Derdriu, the more I encountered signs of recent battles." He shook his head. "And this feeling in my chest began to overwhelm me, stripping all clarity from me.   
When I saw Derdriu had fallen.." Byleth shook his head stronger and crumpled the paper in his hands as his face drew into a scowl.   
"I just lost it." He looked up, relaxing his muscles partially as a sense of shame flourished in his chest. "It was even worse than what happened to me in the sealed forest." He added as the other had remained silent. 

Only now did Claude frown. "You mean getting trapped in that darkness you told me of?"

Confused for a moment, Byleth looked up. "No- I mean before that. When I yelled at you. Back then I was.." He recalled Sothis's words. "I was angry." He looked up to Claude with certainty in his eyes.   
"Seeing that the palace had fallen.." Byleth frowned. "I was beyond angry." For a moment he looked puzzled before he came to a realization.  
"I wasn't just angry... I was- furious. I think." 

The whole realization left Claude with a wondering expression before his face drew back into a thoughtful expression, choosing silence as his reply. 

Seeing no words of judgment came, Byleth resolved to finish his recount. "I charged in, blind to the danger. It was as if my reason was given no chance to interject. It is a miracle I didn't die."

"Well,-" The other looked to him. "-when I saw you, you didn't just look furious. Even someone who is furious has some control in manners, usually. What I saw in your eyes was nothing short of rage." He spoke thoughtfully neutral. "Almost a kind of sacred indignation, really." For a moment the man stared into the fire. 

Byleth did the same whilst processing the other's conclusion before he caught him in a smile. 

"It was kind of amazing. Seeing you ride in like that.   
You had thought me dead, didn't you?" Claude asked, his expression drawn in a smile that hid many other emotions.

"I-.." Looking inwards and into his memories, Byleth closed his eyes before resorting to a nod. "I did." He opened his eyes. "I know how dear your dream is to you, there is no way in Ailell you would give up the alliance." Byleth spoke resolutely before a thought popped into his mind, causing him to squint his eyes a bit. "Unless the person taking the Alliance from you is a ruler you believe to be a fit." 

"If only." The other chuckled low. "It's good to see you haven't lost your knack for scheming during your five-year nap."  
Byleth looked up surprised for a moment before breaking out a small smile.   
"Sadly, Mrs. Edelgard von Hresvelg isn't the sort to talk things over. If you ask me, she has talked herself out of acknowledging that diplomacy can be effective." The man sighed. "And as a result, the kingdom got annexed and the alliance fell."   
The bitter tone that lurked under his words wasn't lost on Byleth. His stone of a heart ached as he took in the weary sight of the former alliance leader.

"We will get her back. The alliance."

"Always the optimist aren't you?" The other shot back with a lopsided weary smile.

"With a pessimist for a friend, you leave me no choice." Byleth batted back, casting a glance. "For now we need to get through the pass at Fodlan's locket."

"You really wanna go back there?" The other asked as he poured another cup of tea. 

Byleth closed his eyes. "Rest. Let's discuss this in the morning." Byleth summoned a smile, which became earnest almost immediately after.  
"You are the brightest tactician I know. Between the both of us, we will find a way to forge our destiny."

Claude looked funny at him, following his last words. Silently, the half-Almyran turned his gaze back into the fire.   
"Our destiny, huh?" A small smile began to form. 

Byleth nodded with a serene expression as he held up the sword of the creator.   
Meeting Claude's eyes he saw them light up with fire. 

"High time for our original roles to switch, then." The man grinned. 

Curious Byleth tilted his head.   
"Well, where we are headed they don't speak Fodlani." The other mused with a grin. "So I will get to teach you the proper Almyran tongue!"

Byleth felt himself break down into a laugh, aching his vocal cords as rasped chuckles made it through.   
"Don't you worry about a thing! I learned teaching from the best after all." He squeezed Byleth's shoulder. 

Above their heads, the sky colored with the first light of dawn. A brilliant, fiery red.

**Fodlan's Throat**   
**3rd of the Guardian moon, 1185. Gentle snow. Storm clouds in the north.**  
_Today we set out for the pass. It is dangerous at this time of year. _  
_All to bring forth a new dawn._

"You do still remember the route your father took all those years ago, don't you?" Claude asked from behind him. The great peaks that surrounded them were now entirely clad with snow and ice, feeding the glaciers that ground their way through the valleys below. 

"Somewhat." Byleth answered through the power of his crest. 

"What about your diary?" The other asked, both walking single file, leading their horses by their leads. 

"Back then I was barely awake and tried my hardest not to fall." Byleth answered as the winds picked up. "I had no time to take notes."

"We won't survive this trip if the weather gets any worse." Claude yelled back, earning a glance from Byleth, gesturing him to quiet down.

"Yell much harder and we will die by way of an avalanche. I can hear you." He let concern shimmer through his mentally delivered words. 

"I should have brought Dara along." The other ducked down as a strong gust of wind rushed past. 

"Who is Dara?" Byleth wondered, his lips moving as if he spoke, but what little air passed them was lost in the gusts of snow-laden wind. 

"My wyvern- Gir died." Byleth felt the sadness lacing those words in his gut. Yet words escaped him. A question had formed in his head a good few hours ago, but he had yet to get himself to ask it. 

Sharp as ever, Claude picked up on it. "What's wrong Byleth?"  
Only now did Byleth realize he had stopped, pushing himself against the rock-face he relented.

"Did we lose anyone else?"  
The silence which followed was telling to Byleth. When it stretched on, he turned back onto the path, facing the winds and the snow. 

About half an hour and a difficult climb later did an answer come.  
"We lost more than I liked." The other grimaced against the cold as a hundred-meter drop revealed itself to their right. Far below them lay a snowed under valley so deep that he wondered if anyone had ever set foot in it. 

"Rhea is missing, or dead. My sensibilities say if the Adrestian empire found and killed her, they'd let us know. But no such word has come yet. The knights of Seiros, however, have been ruthlessly persecuted ever since the kingdom fell. Staggering bounties exist on Catherine and Alois, as well as other prominent leaders and former cardinals. The Seiros faith has gone underground to the best of my knowledge. We had a whole host of refugees from Faergus hiding out in Derdriu." His voice lined with dread. "I think their days are numbered now."

Byleth felt his stomach turn, yet he walked on, finding an odd kind of ease in the burning sensation of the cold snow streaming against his face. 

"Then there is Dimitri."   
Byleth's feet froze. The other looked up and over Byleth's horse. 

"He was captured when Fhirdiad fell to Cornelia's assault. He spent a few years in a cell, long enough for that woman to stabilize her claim and force fealty from the western lords. Then suddenly, a few months ago, news reached me that he has been executed." His voice fell flat and listless. 

"I wanted to help him, but to be truthful with you-" His voice twisted as he spoke. "-I was barely managing to keep the empire out of the alliance back then."  
Byleth felt ice form in his veins, his thoughts spiraled as his chest hurt, only for him to suddenly raise his head. 

"No. This isn't the time-" He muttered on a hoarse, unheard, whisper. 

"Byleth?" The other asked with an undertone of concern.   
Shaking his head Byleth looked up to meet the others gaze. 

"If he is gone-" Memories of the leader of the blue lion's house shot through his head. "-then we will need to succeed in our ambition, for his sake as well as our own." He turned back into the wind, pressing on wards with a renewed sense of urgency.   
"We need to make haste and find shelter before this storm grows any worse."

"In here." Byleth hadn't been feeling his fingers and feet the last few hours and let out a sigh of relief when he still saw his fingers bend and stretch. The cave he had found was the same his father had their entire mercenary company take shelter in on the way back to Fodlan, so many years ago. The remnants of multiple campfires still remained. 

Ushering his horse inside he helped Claude bring the other in before reaching out with his hand and calling upon his untrained magic to deliver a life-saving spark to some tinder from their packs. The smell of magic was quickly replaced with that of a campfire, and with the orange light illuminating the previously pitch dark cavern, now a host of wall-carvings revealed themselves. 

Yet neither of the two cared too much about their surroundings, instead, they huddled around the fire, hoping its warmth would save their fingers and toes from frostbite. Surprisingly little was said as they both struggled to get warm again.   
Byleth rubbed his fingers against one another whilst Claude was taking off his boots and drenched socks to let his toes warm up.   
Seeing that as being a good idea, Byleth followed suit. Layer by layer they both took off their drenched clothes, spreading them out to dry on a stick that had been slotted into the cave walls by previous visitors for that exact purpose.   
Frozen but thawing, Byleth grabbed the bedrolls from their packs before sitting down. 

Claude was fetching their pot and stepped outside to scoop it full of snow before balancing it on top of a flimsy iron tray above the fire. Byleth rubbed his fingers together to encourage circulation before checking the ugly gash that decorated his dominant hand, from where he had grabbed Arundel's blade. 

"You need to get that looked at." The other spoke, his voice thick with tiredness. Byleth just nodded in agreement on that. The other sat down with a sigh. "Can't say I want to do that again." He chuckled tiredly. "The last time I made this trip I smuggled myself through the locket." He cast a sideways glance to Byleth, who was still focusing on not losing any fingers or toes.   
He didn't see Claude react.  
He did, suddenly, feel his ice-cold fingers on his back, lifting his ragged shirt. He let out a hiss of pain, jolting to the touch.   
The other paused, bearing a ghastly look in his eyes for a split second. "Byleth-.."

He braced himself before shaking his head. It broke his heart to see how Claude's face fell into emotions he had never seen him bear before. The usually so well-guarded man now looked visibly shocked, as well as distraught. 

"Why didn't you say anything? You had this since leaving Derdriu?!" Concern wrought in his voice. "You traveled with this all this time?"

Mentally still exhausted as he was, he gave a nod with his eyes closed, as if to say that it was alright. But without words, Byleth realized his nod wouldn't suffice. Instead, he reached out, grasping the others arm before giving it a squeeze. 

"We are safe now." He tried to speak, but all that left his throat was a hiss, paired with a single note, not enough to be audible. Or was it?

Claude frowned. "What did I tell you about being reckless?"

To that, Byleth looked off and into the fire before finding a smile had formed on his lips.   
"Don't you give me that." The other chided, but no true anger hid in those words, rather they seeped of relief and concern.   
Fixing his gaze into a dry stare, the other almost seemed to read his mind. Or pretended to read, at least. 

"Yeah, just because I got into a bit of a difficult spot doesn't mean I give you a pass on being reckless." Claude sighed before a smile finally won out.   
Byleth still stared at him with a frown.   
"What?" The half-Almyran now grinned, tired but true.   
Byleth instead grabbed his diary, fetching what food and tea-leaves remained as well, before flipping his book open and finding an empty page. With shaking hands and splotches of ink everywhere, he wrote. 

You are impossible.

The other broke into a laugh on reading the words.   
"I know, and I am, still, proud of it!"

Byleth hung his head before warm chuckles of laughter bubbled their way out of his chest.   
He was tired, oh so tired, cold and hungry, and not to mention, hurt. Yet still, he laughed quietly together with his best friend.  
Together they ate what provisions they had left, sitting beside one another by the fire in a comfortable silence. 

"Once we get down from the mountains, we'll be in Almyra." Claude spoke up after Byleth had dozed off, waking him from his flighty sleep. The howling blizzard outside was trying it's hardest to keep them up with how the winds echoed in the cavern.   
He cast a sleepy look to the other, who was staring into the fire. "There are woodlands there with plenty of wildlife for us to resupply our provisions on. Then it is probably a few days until we reach Salisse." He continued, earning a slow nod from Byleth who sat back up. 

"In Salisse, well, we first have to get you looked at. Lest one of those wounds on your back decides to go bad." The man frowned before gazing ahead. "Then we will have to find my father. I know almost nothing, other than that he defeated his older brother in combat and became king of the region."

On Byleth's questioning gaze, Claude sat back and placed his hands behind his head.   
"Almyra is a country ruled by khans, our variant of your kings, kind of. Then there is a great-Khan who rules them, and thus all of Almyra." He continued.

"The great-Khan can pass his position down to his kids, or to someone he elects if the kids are no good. We don't have much in the ways of solid bloodlines like Fodlan does." He glanced to Byleth, who had laid back against the cavern wall as well and was listening.   
"Now, here is where it gets fun. If one of the Khans doesn't like the great Khan, there is a way for that to change. Other than backstabbing and poisonings, that is." Byleth couldn't help but smile as he saw that tiny shimmer of mischief still sparkle in Claude's eye.   
"They issue a challenge, roughly translated. The more Khans join in such a challenge, the steeper the odds are for the great Khan. You can imagine the political power plays this allows for." He chuckled before looking back to Byleth. "My father's brother was Khan of the Salisse region, and he practically issued a smaller version of this challenge to his brother, and took his throne. That's about all I know."   
Byleth saw Claude's expression go distant. "The one who brought the message didn't even know how my mother was doing." He left his sentence suspended in midair as if words were planned to follow it but were delayed.   
Instead, a sigh followed, before the Almyran finally rested his head. 

"My dream hasn't felt this far away since beginning Garreg Mach..." His voice felt distant, yet not lost. Instead of lingering in silence, he turned his head, determination shimmering in his green eyes.   
"But I am no longer walking this path alone, and somehow that feels like it is just enough to keep going." He smiled, finding a now increasingly sleepy Byleth, struggling to stay awake. 

The half-Almyran chuckled. "Go and sleep, just, not for five years, please."

Looking up, Byleth gave a slow nod. The comment however sunk deeper than Byleth wished to admit. Feelings of guilt reared their heads, but he was too tired to do anything other than acknowledge them.   
Sleep took him before his emotions could.

When they woke, all was silent. Byleth had gotten up and wandered to the cavern's entrance.  
He found a crystal clear, star-filled sky. The first break of dawn was not far off, as the skies colored to the east, where high above the guiding star stood.   
Warmth replaced the cold morning air as Claude had joined him at the cave entrance.

"The guiding star still guides us to this day."

Byleth closed his eyes before opening them again and inhaling a deep lung-full of fresh mountain air.   
"May she guide us forevermore. " Byleth spoke on a soft whisper.

Thunder roared on the plains as the pair navigated the tree line. Having resupplied on both water and food, they made a rapid descent down the mountainside and through the forested hills. 

"Have you missed Almyra?" Byleth asked through the power of his crest. Their earlier hunt had benefited from his sight, and Claude demonstrated how he had grown in the five years he had been gone.

"To be honest, I don't really know if you could call it missing." Claude answered verbally as his eyes scanned the storm clouds on the horizon. "But I am happy to be on the other side of the mountains again." He chuckled as they both decided to circumvent the worst of the storm by taking an upwind route that hugged the hills.   
"I miss my parents." He answered without looking. "-and I guess I miss Salisse too. That town has something not even Derdriu has, and Derdriu has a lot." He empathized. "But Salisse... I guessed I missed that place, despite everything." He chuckled soft. 

A curtain of rain caught up with them then, drenching them to the skin. "What about you?" Claude yelled unintentionally. Byleth drove his horse closer before rubbing his side. 

"I still dream of this place." He answered, forcing his lips and lungs to try to speak, but with the storm and the lack of volume, he sent the same message through their connection.

"You do? I guess my pa must have left quite an impression on you, then?" The other teased, earning a bit of a glare. 

"He just about strangled me last time." Byleth deadpanned before a smile came through as the rain engulfed them, streaming off their travel capes. 

"That's my da for you." The other laughed. "Da is Almyran for dad, nice and simple, right?" 

Claude enthusiastically summoned up word after word in Almyran, trying to get his friend to nail the pronunciation before explaining their meaning.   
Attempting to wrestle the correct inflection into his mental voice, Byleth couldn't help but adopt another smile through the process. Claude spoke so freely now, as compared to their time at the academy. 

"-so for formal situations one would use those terms, though in all honesty, unless you are speaking to the khan himself, or to someone with a slight case of an inflated ego, you will be fine with the informal." He gestured as the two rode next to one another. 

"I am flattered that you think I will manage to remember all of this." Byleth spoke whilst laughing silently. 

"What? it isn't any worse than your teachings." The other teased with a grin Byleth realized he had sorely missed. 

"How do I greet someone? What are the words for yes, no, please and thank you?" He asked after wagering a guess that Claude loved his homeland very much, but never allowed himself to express that. 

The half-Almyran launched into divulging the answers to him with unbridled enthusiasm, giving Byleth the first leg-up to understanding the mother tongue of his best friend.   
It made the rain-filled journey a lot more interesting than it would have otherwise been.

By the time the sky colored in muffled red hues, the pair broke off the language studies to make camp under a set of massive pine trees that had dotted a single hilltop. Every single action Byleth found himself undertaking was named with the Almyran tongue by the other.   
"You never learned another language before, did you?" Claude asked as he built a simple lean-to for shelter.

"I never needed to." Byleth answered on a hoarse whisper as he passed by him, his head throbbing of the use of his mind's eye. 

"That's what isolationism does." The other dumped their sleeping bags under the improvised roof before getting the packs off the horses. "It's a shame, really. It makes people so... scared." He shook his head.   
"Though you don't seem to feel so. Not even when we first met." He smiled. "I wonder why that is."

Byleth shrugged as he did not know the answer to that either. "I never felt much, back then." He explained, then repeated as Claude stepped in to hear. 

"True that. When I first saw you in that cave I thought you were a spirit of some kind." He chuckled. "Silly, I know. But for heaven's sake, I was what? Nine?"  
Byleth laughed silently.   
"They called me a demon back then." He looked up to find the first stars poke through the pines above. "I didn't know better until I met you."

"No need to thank me." The man winked before sitting down and stretching his legs with a sigh. 

"Saddle pain?" Byleth asked as he leaned forward to start on a basic soup of vegetables and some rabbit which Claude had shot in the morning. 

"Phsh, I ride wyverns, you know? Compared to that horses are easy." Claude answered whilst laying flat on his back, warming his boot-less wet feet by the fire. 

"You ride wyverns for short periods." Byleth stirred the soup before deciding to cut the carrot that he found into the soup as well. "Though who knows.." He realized, and let his whisper end on a soft gravelly note.  
"I have been gone for a long time." His voice turned inward.

It was enough to catch the other's attention, who looked up for a moment before swinging his arms and sitting upright again.   
"A lot has happened yeah." The cheerfulness that had been with him most of the day died out. 

"I didn't mean to bring back bad memories." Byleth felt his chest cramp and his words grow softer. 

"Nah. You need to know this." The other shook his head before looking to him. "I promised you I'd tell you what you need to know, when you need to know, after all." He inhaled deeply. "I've been avoiding it long enough now." He smiled, but it bore no joy.

"Five years ago, after you fell, Garreg Mach fell." He opened. "The evacuation you ordered went as well as it could have gone. A lot of the knights died covering the students." Claude's eyes focused beyond the horizon as the memories revisited them both.   
"Leonie was badly injured, and Hilda was in a worse shape than she led anyone to believe. We were forced to fall back to Derdriu. Lorenz went back to Gloucester territory. Marianne returned home too, as did Lysithea. The rest came with me to Derdriu." Claude fuzzed with a clasp for the saddlebags whilst he spoke, his face unguarded.

"Then the empire came. The duke Gloucester switched allegiance, submitting himself to imperial rule. Allegedly to keep the empire from crossing into his lands." Claude's face drew into a scowl.   
"From there on the lords of the alliance became divided. I did everything I could to keep the empire or the kingdom from seeing the alliance as anything other than unified." He chuckled listlessly. "It worked, for about four years." He sighed.  
"After two years of that juggling, there came a plea for aid from the kingdom. Dimitri had ascended the throne and was getting besieged in Fhirdiad." Claude frowned troubled.   
"I was barely holding the alliance together as it was. Or so I told myself." His expression drew more and more into sadness.  
"I couldn't afford even the smallest altercation, the littles of excuses or the alliance would collapse." His frown deepened. "Fhirdiad fell about a week after that." He looked to Byleth with sorrowful and conflicted eyes. 

"Then the news arrived that he had been captured and was to be put on trial." His words grew bitter. "A show trial, of course." He shook his head. 

"A year later he was executed." 

The words lingered in between them whilst Byleth stirred their soup to a boil whilst processing it all. After the now thick liquid began to stir on its own he quietly poured two bowls of it, offering one to his friend. 

"Eat, then continue." He offered on a hoarse whisper.   
Claude took it and dug in, as did Byleth. The soup chased the remnants of cold from his body and silenced his hungry stomach.   
After seconds and thirds, emptying the pot, the two finally laid down. Byleth turned his head to the other, who stared upwards, his thoughts far away from their camp.

"Things never got better from then." He sighed, resting his head on his hands. "The alliance grew more and more divided, the empire's influence became stronger." He shook his head. "I should have known, that's what I keep telling myself. But I fell a victim to my own trust." He closed his eyes.

"Lorenz reached out to me, via letter. Telling me he had found Dimitri, injured and near death." His voice grew spiteful. "He needed my help to get him out of Gloucester territory.. and I just- didn't think straight."  
"I fell for it. Thinking Lorenz'd never lie about something like that. He had known and respected Dimitri." His voice grew louder.  
"Yet when I arrive, Lorenz claims to know nothing. Then right as I start to feel like a dagger may be coming from the dark, the ambush springs." His voice grew hard and strained as he spoke.

"They murdered my guard and killed my wyvern-" His voice grew thick. 

Byleth saw moisture pearl in the corner of his eyes. 

"-and then they ran me down through the woods until Lorenz caught up with me and cut off my path. I lost my footing and fell, I lost consciousness-" He gestured to a spot on his head. "-and woke up in a cell."  
"It was all a trick, a scheme- and I fell for it." Guilt and anger dripped off his words. 

A tense, emotionally laden silence followed as Byleth listened, afraid to shatter the moment. 

"That's, how the alliance fell, and how I ended up where you found me." 

Byleth's eyes had fixated on the other, staring at him near-breathless. Only when his lungs began to burn did he breathe. When the shock finally abated, another feeling of cramp burst from his chest, filling his veins and clutching his stone of a heart. 

"I am sorry." He whispered, his voice painful and thick. 

To those words, Claude frowned. "I didn't tell you all of this for you to apologize." In his voice hard notes lingered.

"I know." Byleth answered, forcing his throat to cooperate and his eyes to remain fixed on the ceiling made of twigs and pine needles.   
"But I still am." He continued. "For not honoring my promise to you." He closed his eyes, feeling his eyes burn. Then he turned his head to make their gazes lock.  
"That promise I made to you five years ago." Byleth felt the cold, slithering sensation of guilt coil around him further and further.   
"If I hadn't been as reckless, and simply ordered our retreat-"

"My friend, don't go there. Don't cast yourself down that hellish rabbit hole of what-ifs and could haves. It serves no purpose." Claude stated with a far softer voice than before. "Trust your pessimist friend on that one, please." He sighed. 

Byleth stared at him a moment before the other spoke again. 

"You are here now. That is what matters." Claude pushed a small smile, which actually reached his eyes.   
"Looking back serves no other purpose than education. All other things are better done when facing your path and moving forward. That's what my mom always used to say whenever I was down in the dumps about getting my arse kicked." He chuckled sadly.   
Seeing their campfire flicker in those green eyes, Byleth felt the cold beast named guilt back off and slither into the shadows again. He sighed deeply before closing his eyes.  
"Let's keep looking ahead, then." He mulled the words over in his head, finding in them a lesson that corresponded with his father's advice from right before he reunited with Claude.

'Getting distracted will land you in an early grave.'

Salisse greeted them with her sheer beauty as a white pearl amongst an ocean of green.   
The rains had finally held off, allowing for a spectacular display of clouds in skies so wide, Byleth felt himself the size of an ant.  
Claude was eagerly pointing to the massive citadel in the heart of the un-walled city. "Salisse, after all this time." He grinned whilst he looked at his friend.   
"Home!"

Byleth couldn't help but bear a smile and set his horse in pursuit of his friend.   
"Your father will not know what he sees." He mused through his mind's eye. 

"Nor will my mom, but hey, I like surprising people!" Claude grinned as both horses kept an energetic canter. 

"Oh-" Claude pulled his horse back into a trot. "I haven't told you of my plan, haven't I? I couldn't sleep last night so I did some plotting." He grinned. "I kind of had to borrow a page in your diary for that- sorry about that." He spoke without looking sorry at all.

"What do you have in mind?" Byleth asked as he pulled up beside him, his weak whisper-voice wouldn't reach him while they rode. 

"I will have to borrow some troops from my dad, and I'll have to lean on Hilda a bit, but I think it'll work." He broke out a wink.   
"You are going to pose as an Almyran general."

"Excuse me-?" Byleth asked surprised and near lost his balance as his horse almost tripped. 

"You will take this army to, -" He bent his fingers. "-invade, Derdriu!" Claude spoke with a pleased grin. "While you and my father's forces engage the empire, I will take a few men and fly in from oversea to strike Lord Arundel." The half-Almyran drove his horse up to a slow canter.   
"Almyran troops are well trained, and you will have Nader with you if I can convince father to let him go for a bit." He winked. "Leaving only the Empire's troops to pose a threat to me, but they will be busy and too distracted to stop me."

Outwardly stoic, Byleth ran through the plan in his head, and couldn't help but admit the man had only gotten better at scheming in his absence.   
"Then, I guess, you and I will have a,-" He hesitated before emulating the other's gesture, curling his fingers. "-duel, and you coming out victorious and taking me captive?"

"Right! Sounds like the perfect plan, doesn't it?" Claude bore that mischievous grin Byleth had last seen during his academy years, instantly bringing about a wave of nostalgia.   
Cutting through all the memories he spotted the first few farms pop up. 

"If you can take lord Arundel out of the equation, you can take back Riegan lands, as well as sway all the lords of the alliance back to your side."

"-Except for Duke Gloucester." Claude reminded him. "We will have to take the great bridge of Myrdin, then deal with him."

"What of Garreg Mach?" Byleth asked. "It lies in ruins."

"Well, it's central location is beneficial to us, most of all because of the passage it offers to the kingdom. "

Byleth lifted a brow and a corner of his lip. "You intend to march there." He asked more than stated. 

"If all goes well." The other looked up with a troubled smile. "Lets first focus on getting Derdriu back."  
To that Byleth nodded. "One step at the ti-" His sentence got cut off as his horse bolted sideways.   
A good few minutes and a lot of nervosity later, Byleth had reigned his horse back in. 

"Ah, I guess Fodlani horses aren't used to our livestock-"   
When Byleth looked up, Claude was chuckling whilst trying to keep his own horse calm. From behind a flood of white, woolly beasts that definitely weren't sheep, enclosed them. 

"What are those?" Byleth asked with a frown as he reassured his steed with a few rubs to the neck. 

"East-Almyran goats is the best rough translation I can think of-" The other struggled with his mount. "We got a lot of different kinds of animals here." 

Byleth followed his friend. "Well, I do not know how they would feel about you shouting in a one-sided conversation." He remarked on the concerned look of some of the young kids who were busy herding the flock. 

"Heh, sorry. I guess I've gotten used to it." He shook his head. "Your actual voice is improving though. Give it a few more weeks and you may be speaking properly again."

"So I hope." Byleth both whispered and spoke. "Maintaining this connection will be vital in this place.."

"Don't worry." Claude shot him a wink. "You are in my homeland now. I get to look after you this time." His tone lilted with amusement.

"Haven't you always?" Byleth asked, bearing a smile whilst they rode into the main street. 

Both sides of the street became lined with houses the further they rode into the city. They passed the same square he had visited long ago. It was still ever as busy with hundreds of market-stalls covering every inch of the open space. The white chalked houses lined the square, glistening in the beaming sun. Flags and flowers adorned their windows.

When they had managed to weave through the multitude of salesmen and fruit stands the pair found themselves in a street covered with colorful tarps, to blot out the sun. The deep, vibrant shadows they cast colored the white houses in their glow.

For some reason beyond Byleth's understanding, the sight sent shivers down his spine. The glimmering lanterns and rich smells of herbs and various roadside cookeries near overwhelmed him.   
Children ran across the street in pursuit of one another, carrying kites in their arms. One by one their sandals kicked up the dirt. 

Only to be caught in mid-air. Held still by nothing, but time.

As Byleth realized and looked up, he saw the world had come to a stand-still. Claude had his gaze on him, patiently waiting for him to be able to carry on.   
Yet he caught sight of a... toe?

Looking up he saw her form, Sothis, floating in the sky. Her hand trailed the tail of a flying kite, adorned with reds and whites, softly shaded in a purple hue. 

"This place, it is wonderful-" She spoke, leaving her words to linger before she regarded him fully.   
"Where are we?"

"Sothis.." Byleth felt an aching in his heart, he thought to be of joy. "This is Salisse. A city in Almyra."

"We are no longer in Fodlan?" She asked while she looked around again. "Is this east? Across the mountains?" She asked insistently. "Where the plains are?"  
Byleth nodded. "We were forced to flee."

Realization then seemed to dawn in her eyes. "Of course, owh how could I forget such a silly thing-" She sulked. "I have slept so much."

"I am glad to see you again," Byleth spoke, then looked up to her. "I am glad we can still speak like this- but how? Did you still the hands of time?" He wondered.

"Oh, little one. Our souls are as one." She smiled whilst hiding a grin. "How many times will I need to tell you before you understand?" She scolded but forgot she was smiling still.  
"So you are going to take back Fodlan with that plan, quite bold, aren't you?" She tilted her head as she dropped to his eye level. 

Byleth looked up with a frown. "Not all of Fodlan-" He lingered as he searched his mind. 

"Hah, don't try to fool me my little one." She grinned. "Was that not what you spoke of when you told him of 'our destiny'?" Her smile grew.   
Gathering his thoughts, Byleth met her gaze before speaking. 

"Our destiny isn't to rule." He wondered just how much she had missed whilst she slept. "It is to break down the walls surrounding Fodlan, and foster peace with Almyra." Byleth explained.

"And to do that, you will need to rule both nations." Sothis yawned before bearing a soft smile. "It is the only way. The way it has always been, ever since I have-..." She stopped, her thoughts turning inward.  
"-have... " Her face contorted into annoyance before shifting to frustration. "What have I been?!" She closed her eyes before a yawn forcefully took over. "I can't-.. remember-" She yawned again as her speech slurred.   
"Sothis.." Byleth felt his chest clench before he saw her fade, and the pull of time wishing to march onwards overwhelmed him. Launching him back in the here and now. 

"Byleth, you okay?" Claude reached out through the mass of information forcing itself into his brain in a single split second. He must have winced, Byleth figured.

"I am alright." He looked up, seeing the other bathed in a deep orange glow of the sun-lit canopy above his head. 

"Right." Claude didn't seem convinced. "Maybe it is the amount of people." He offered and gestured for them to keep going. "Just leave all of the talking to me." He reassured.

The citadel came closer now that they had left one of the main streets and joined a big circular ring-road around the keep. Hundreds of small houses cluttered the sides of the street, featuring a myriad of shops.   
"Was Salisse always this lively?" Byleth tried to ask on his whisper of a voice. His head was feeling much akin a roasted melon thanks to his brief conversation with his other half. 

"No, the city has grown quite a bit since you last saw it. Also, it's caravan season and we are near to- err.." Claude's brow wrinkled before he spoke in his mother tongue a word Byleth didn't feel confident he could repeat.   
"It's a festival that we celebrate once a year to honor the earth and sky. Kind of. There is a lot more to it than that but, that is the short version."

Byleth lifted a brow as he eyed the massive structure they were circling. "Is it soon?"

"About a week and a half from now, if I am correct." Claude smiled. "Seems your timing is spot on." He chuckled.

"My timing?" Byleth whispered, feeling his voice grow sore and painful from the use, so he left his words unspoken.   
Gladly enough, Claude didn't continue on it either and instead led them along a wide street that went steeply up-hill, straight to a gate that looked imposing enough to give Garreg Mach a run for its money.

Claude guided his horse ahead, engaging both gate guards in fluent Almyran, of which Byleth understood no other word but one instance of 'please'.  
Both guards, after being suspicious a moment, then suddenly snapped to attention and with loud voices cried a command that caused the gates to heave themselves open.   
Bearing a grin Claude waved him on. 

Within it's thick, ancient walls a host of activity took place. Young men were gearing up Wyverns and young pages ran with all things carriable under the sun. Lanterns dotted every single post and building, banishing out the darkness of the keep's high walls.   
Houses began to pop up, stately and ornate, hugging a second, taller, inner wall. Claude guided him wordlessly along the circular inner road, flanked by houses and stables alike. All bore the proud flag of Salisse, or was it Almyra as a whole?  
Byleth asked Claude after he rode up to him. 

"Actually those flags bear my father's sigil." He spoke with nostalgia in his eyes. Yet the closer they drew, the more clouded this nostalgia became.   
"I've only been here once when my Uncle had passed his ascension rite by beating my grandfather in battle." His gaze focused beyond the horizon.   
The both of them came to a stop before the massive doors that led into the keep. 

"To stand here again now." Claude stepped back and looked up after dismounting. 

Byleth dismounted as well, handing both horses to a waiting page before joining Claude in admiring the ancient keep,

"Home." Byleth spoke softly before looking to his friend. 

"I don't think I can think of this place as home." The other chuckled with an edge of nervousness. "Home for me will always be our place at the outskirts, where I had my mom's cooking and my dad egging me on with chopping wood." He smiled genuinely for the briefest of moments.   
"This place is where the ones who have been trying to get rid of me live." His voice dropped into an odd tone. "And there is no saying if they are still around or not. All because I am a half-blood."

Byleth looked to him for a moment before clasping his shoulder.   
"Maybe all that is true." He closed his eyes as he felt the others gaze upon him.  
"But I don't believe home is a place, a physical building, or anything else like that." Byleth looked to his friend.  
"Maybe this is due to how I was raised, but I believe home is a place where your loved ones are. That can be anything. A tent, a cart, a room of an inn." He turned towards his friend. "Or a citadel."

"Maybe I am just being a little too much of a pessimist." The other admitted with a hint of a smile. "But yeah- there is no use in worrying about it." He cast his gaze back to the doors before stepping forward, crossing the threshold, into a new chapter of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the read! Stay safe and stay inside. <3


	10. Part 3 - Chapter 4

**Salisse, Almyra **   
**12th of the Guardian moon, clouded sky**

_It has been a week since we arrived. I lost three entries to Claude's zeal for teaching me the local script, so I will summarize them in this entry. _   
_Claude has reunited with his mother, the Khatun. We are currently awaiting his father´s return. He is off settling a property dispute in the eastern regions. The festival Claude has mentioned is approaching fast, preparations are made all over town and in the citadel. The expectation is that the Khan will be back in time to celebrate and address his people._

_In the meanwhile, Claude has been giving me lessons on the Almyran tongue, script and customs. Hence, the lost diary pages. _

_The Khatun has been kind to provide me with an aide who holds limited knowledge the Fodlani tongue. He too has been eager to help me get a grasp on the language, but it's complexity and my lack of progress makes me suspect I won't be mastering it for a good while yet. _   
_All we can do for now is wait, and practice._

As Byleth woke, he looked up to find the sun already setting. Still feeling groggy, he rubbed his side, then smiled relieved as the angry red welt had finally simmered down. He applied another layer of salve on it before shedding his vividly green coat. Barefeet, he walked to the brass full-length mirror that stood in the corner of his room, it's edges inlaid with gems and gold. 

Instead of the sparkling luster, however, he focussed on himself. On how he had lost so much muscle mass, compared to five years ago.   
At least his ribs had finally stopped poking through his skin. 

He turned around slowly and inspected the webbed scarring that he had earned in Derdriu. Gladly enough the cuts had not been deep enough to damage his muscles and tendons. 

Carefully he stretched his still sleepy muscles awake. Only the increasing sensation of cold finally caused him to call it a day and dress up again before finding a fresh set of clothes that the Khatun had given him. 

Beautiful vermillions were interwoven with a near-magical black. The style of clothing in Almyra was vastly different from Fodlan, it had surprised him.

Quietly he exited his spacious and quite beautiful chambers, fresh clothing under his arms. He found his page asleep and with an unlit oil-lantern beside him.   
Carefully he knelt down, causing him to need to tuck his too-long hair back before greeting him in the Almyran tongue.

The poor youth shot up, replying in kind, but the words were spoken so fast they were lost on Byleth.   
"I need to bathe." Byleth whispered. His voice had been doing better, but it was a slow process. One that was easily overdone.

"Yes- this way." The page jumped up before guiding him through the massive halls of ancient stone. 

This wasn't his first visit to the streams, but with how vast the place was, and Claude's advice not to go anywhere alone, he relied on the Almyran youth to guide him.

The vapor of the streams embraced him when he had washed up. Incense burners filled the air with fragrances he couldn't place but brought an odd sense of peace to him. Plants and silken drapes framed the corridors to the hot baths, their water coming from one of the two springs that supplied the city, making it near immune to conventional sieges.   
Not that Salisse had seen a siege in his life-time. It had surprised him when he learned just exactly how old the city was.  
The first foundations and iterations of people living on the hill that now held the citadel, well predated any known civilizations in Fodlan. 

Byleth instantly let that topic rest the moment he stepped into the hot water.   
Sighing he lowered himself into its heat, and one by one his muscles uncoiled from their ordeals.   
His hair, strung up as it was, touched the water before he felt himself slip wholly under. 

The peace of that sensation overwhelmed him, he went limp. His eyes opened to a mosaic of colors and light, ever-changing, shifting from light to dark and back again. The yellows of the candles flickered and was replaced by the carmoisine red of the drapes, then the vermillion green of the plants. It was a kaleidoscope of colors, rotating ever onward like the march of time itself.

A shadow appeared, blotting out the light, then two hands grasped his arms and heaved him up from his bliss.

"Byleth!?" Someone called his name whilst being less than a centimeter away from his face, and with water still in his eyes, Byleth had a hard time seeing until his brain finally made the click.  
"Claude."

"What- are you alright?!" The other shook him, which Byleth resisted with a grumpy expression. 

"I was, yes." He rubbed his eyes so he could see the other properly. 

"You were on the bottom of the bath. Unmoving." The other spoke exasperated. 

"I was." Byleth affirmed, wondering why Claude was so worried.

"I thought you'd drowned.." Claude spoke with a clear question in his eyes. "I mean- what else was I supposed to think?" A smile made it to his lips, but it came from his worry.

"Ah-" Right, there was such a thing as drowning. "-I am fine, I was just relaxing."

"For the love of the earth and the sky above-" The other stepped back, letting out a complicated but relieved sigh. 

"I like the water." Byleth spoke, catching himself apologizing. "It helps me relax."

"And look like you've drowned. Trust me it wouldn't be the first time someone was murdered in here."

At that statement, Byleth lifted a brow before his face drew into a serious expression. "I am sorry I worried you." He apologized properly.

Claude just shook his head, finally smiling of relief. "As long as you are okay I am fine, but you had to know how that would look. This is a public bath after all."

Byleth looked off. "This is the first proper stream.. or bath. I have ever visited." He admitted. "Back when I traveled with my father, I bathed in rivers and streams. In Garreg Mach we all had private facilities."

"Ah-" Claude caught on, nodding whilst Byleth elaborated. "I guess that is true." He smiled. "Well, Salisse is not a bad place to start." He chuckled now he was reassured and relaxed back into the water on the opposite side of the little alcove. 

"Derdriu has a fancy set of streams, including private ones, but they aren't as grand as these." He looked up. "I can see myself visiting this place every few days." He winked with a grin. 

"How are you liking it so far?" Byleth asked. It had been a question he purposely hadn't asked ever since entering the citadel. 

"There's.. a lot of mixed feelings to be honest." The half-Almyran's green eyes squinted for a moment. "The political situation has changed, a lot, since I left Salisse and headed to Fodlan." He looked back to Byleth.   
"I am still trying to figure out who is friend and foe, among the nobles. My mom seems to have a pretty tight handle on things, though." A glint of pride shone in his eyes. 

"About that-" He rose a hand from the water to point at Byleth. "She wants a word with you. Over dinner. So consider yourself royally invited." He grinned.

"A word?" Byleth wondered. "I have been eating with you two this whole week." He frowned. "Not that I do not enjoy these dinners but-"

"-You wanna know why she didn't speak up before?" Claude was onto him before he could finish. "That is because this dinner will be just the three of us, no political parties, no officials. Just us three."

Byleth nodded with understanding as he connected the dots. "She is afraid of giving her opponents a dagger to raise against her if she asks me publically."

Claude nodded. "I knew you'd get it. She is worried you won't, I've tried assuring her but alas-" Claude shrugged. "-she will just have to see for herself."

If the shining eyes of his page were anything to go by, he was looking good. Fodlan standards may not entirely agree with the bold color statements and the wide sleeves on his tunic, but that didn´t matter here.

Byleth didn´t mind the unusual choice of fashion, at least, he didn´t mind it as much as the official church clothes Seteth had once bestowed upon him. He could barely move in those. Almyran clothing, however, even the variants clearly meant for official events, allowed for movement and comfort.   
Now if only his hair would cooperate. 

Struggling, Byleth fought with the stray locks of too-long hair that kept dancing out of their assigned places.   
Only when his page couldn't bear watching anymore, and climbed up a chair behind him, signaling him over in broken Fodlani did he give up.

The boy, who was perhaps a year or two younger than Cyril had been, tied a string into his hair, keeping it away from his eyes.   
Turning his head, he glanced into the brass mirror to find his hair tied up, almost like how Catherine used to have it. Only the tie was higher up than Fodlani knighthood had decided was fashionable. 

The tugging on his sleeve, however, caused him to remember the time. His page guided him through the ancient halls to the western wing.   
Byleth thanked him in his rudimentary grasp on Almyran before being allowed in by a pair of door-guards. 

The delectable smell of Almyran pine needle tea greeted him on his first step through the doors. The room, which was brightened by what had to be hundreds of candles, was largely empty. No massive dinner table, like there had been on the nights before.  
A pit filled the room instead, with within it a table decked with food, and seated on it, the Khatun and her son.

"Welcome." The Khatun stood, her dark hair was contrasted by her vivid green eyes, which hid a range of feelings much like her son could.

"Thank you, Khatun." Byleth answered on his best Almyran, effectively breaking the ice by what probably was his ever flawed, Fodlani accented, pronunciation.

"Just in case Claude never told you, I do speak Fodlani." She crossed her arms whilst a grin formed over her lips. 

"Don't let her discourage you, you are getting more understandable every day!" Claude encouraged with a grin and a wink. "Come, have a seat."  
His mother gave him a look which caused Byleth's chest to cramp, his smile fighting a way to his lips. 

Sitting down, Byleth took in the sight of the unknown dishes that filled the table.   
"I have been enjoying your hospitality for over a week now, and never have tasted, let alone seen the same dish twice." He looked up.

The double pair of green eyes on the other side of the table both grinned.   
"Almyra is a large country with a varied demographic." The Khatun spoke, "That is why we have a many different dishes, is the taste to your liking?"

Byleth nodded before looking up. "It is nostalgic." He rubbed his throat. "I first ate Almyran food in your home." He looked up to the Khatun. "Eating it now brings back.. memories." He rubbed his throat again.  
All the while Claude's mother seemed to study him, her eyes never leaving Byleth. 

"He cannot talk for long periods at a time." Claude broke the mounting silence. "He took a bad injury five years ago." Byleth saw the man's gaze harden.  
"It still affects him to this day."

His mother looked to him before looking back to Byleth.   
"Come and sit beside us, so you won't need to raise your voice." She reached out and took a leg from what looked to be poultry before adding a collection of colorful leaves. 

Obediently, and somewhat happy to save his voice, Byleth moved to sit beside his friend, who spared no effort to help him get a sample of the best foods on the table.   
"You just gotta try this- oh- and this." He gathered up a wild collection on his plate. 

"Claude, don't overfeed our guest." His mother admonished him with a soft slap on the back of his head. Her green eyes relented from Byleth to focus on her son.   
"I know you missed your liberty to do this but at least be reasonable to the poor man."

"Ah don't worry ma, Byleth's got a big stomach." Claude placed the massive plate before his nose before beginning to explain what the different dishes were, and insisting he'd try them. 

One massive meal and a few glasses of wine later the dinner concluded, and the Khatun finally made the move Byleth had seen her prepare since entering the room. 

"You are the one who returned my son to me, or so he says." She spoke, causing the incessant culture banter of the pair of friends to cease.   
"Yet I do not remember that one bearing hair the color of fresh spring leaves," Her eyes rested upon Byleth before shifting to her son. Silently waiting for an explanation to come.

With Claude's earlier deflection on his mind, Byleth felt his throat close up. With how rough their ordeal had been, both had primarily sought to rest and recuperate in the past week. And while a lot of words had been shared, none had pertained the scope of the truth Claude planned to reveal.   
Now cornered and with no time left, Byleth closed his eyes, faced with a decision that had become his to take. 

"My hair changed from the deep green-blue it had been when you first met me, to this light green about five years ago." He stared past the many candles, into the night sky. "What happened on that day was.. is something I still am discovering. I was altered." He tried to toe the fine line between omission and truth. Byleth turned to Claude, whose eyes were trapped in thought. 

"I changed after an ancient form of magic spirited me away to a land of nothing, I do not understand much of the intricacies that caused it all, but I received aide from the goddess of Fodlan, she helped me escape." 

Byleth closed his eyes. "Ever after that day, I have been different, yet the same."  
"Not long after my change, battle erupted. I abused what was given to me." Byleth's voice went flat.   
"If it had not been for Claude, I may not be here today." He saw the man react but pressed on. Not giving him a chance to object.

"He stayed spear and axe aimed to take my life. He dragged me to safety through bloodsoaked soil." Byleth looked up to meet the eyes of the Khatun. 

"My fall.. was unavoidable." He fought to keep his focus from turning inward, resisting memory's siren call. "A stray bolt of magic threw me into a chasm, where I then slept for five years."

"Five years?" She inquired, the tone of her gaze shifting. She glanced to her son. 

"There is a lot I didn't feel comfortable telling you until now." Claude spoke hesitantly. "Truthfully, I wanted to wait until my father returned, but I may as well just tell you." He let out a sigh.  
Upon Byleth's mystified look, however, Claude begged his mother for a moment with a gesture as he turned to Byleth.

"The situation isn't any less tense than when we still lived in Salisse and my uncle was still Khan. My mother is one hell of a Khatun but they still dislike her for her bloodline." He explained. "She has to be careful, and with all the influential people gathering to Salisse for the festival, there is more at stake here than ever. Only one set of ears is needed to overhear enough of our adventure to knock her down." Claude frowned. "Especially now." He turned to his mother.  
But before any further apologies could be uttered, she shook her head. 

"My authority is not that weak my boy." She admonished lightly before drawing her lips into an amused smile. "It seems I taught you a little too well." Nostalgia filled her voice. Earning a true smile from her son.

"So, our return was poorly timed?" Byleth asked.

"Well, no but- in a way it was I guess." Claude's expression shifted to a ghost of a sulk. "Not that we had much of a choice. But yeah. We haven't really been able to talk things over yet."

"I see." Byleth frowned in thought. "How come there is no risk in us speaking freely now?"

"Because of a grand feast being given by one of the patriarchs. One I was able to miss out on." The Khatun grinned with a sly smile in a moment of pride before schooling her face back. "If you wish to tell me my boy, now is the time." She spoke with a growing softness in her eyes. Something almost akin to regret, he thought.

Byleth cast a glance to his friend, who seemed to grow more conflicted by the moment. Carefully he reached out, to draw him out of the forest that were his thoughts.   
"Hm?-" He looked up and back to Byleth before letting go of the sigh he had been holding in.   
"Alright."

"You two are close, aren't you?" His mother broke a moment of silence that had fallen in between Claude's recollections.   
Both raised their heads. 

"We are. I think." Byleth answered, his throat began to ache, causing his voice to become raspy. "He is my first ever friend." He glanced to the other.

"We are." Claude confirmed whilst looking to Byleth. "He is the only one I share my schemes with." He smiled as he told his mother. 

The Khatun smiled as well, then sipped her drink. "Forgive the sudden intrusion, but now I see how you two behave when no one else is around to pretend for. It reminds me of that week you stayed with us." She elaborated whilst meeting Byleth's eyes with a different energy in them. "Please, continue my boy."

"Your boy is quite the man now, ma." Claude chuckled, to which his mother shook her head.   
"You will always be my boy."

"right-" Claude sighed but smiled as well. "Well, as I was saying, it was thanks to Judith that they didn't eat me alive in Derdriu. She gave me enough breathing room to allow me to take care of those who'd rather see me sent back across Fodlan's throat in a coffin. But once that whole mess of my legitimacy was finally settled, things slowly began calming down." 

"My grandfather isn't a bad man, really. He just was well on his way to lose his head. Duke Gloucester was really on the proverbial warpath, so to speak." He sighed. 

"Ultimately it took a lot of convincing to get the old man ready to fight the good fight again. It eventually all culminated in a final shouting match and a whole lot of posturing. The result, however, was that even house Gloucester finally accepted my legitimacy as heir to house Riegan."

Byleth saw the Khatun's face contort in a brief wince of compassion as her son relived the tale.   
"Part of the reason I eloped was that hot political mess the Gloucesters and Ordelia's concocted." She sighed before shaking her head. "Then that upstart Edmund showed up and destabilized the whole round table." 

"As much as I detest the aspects of politics that cling to my function as Khatun, Fodlan's political system is infinitely worse." She closed her eyes. 

"Oh, so you didn't elope just because you met my handsomely rugged father?" Claude teased as he rested his head on his hands.   
It earned him a soft slap and a head rub from his mother. 

"Well, the abuse aside-" Claude grinned, already expecting another pinch from his mother, she however only kept her hand in the air, giving him a watchful stare. "-that settled me into the position I was in for a good while. "  
"Then I got a recommendation to go to the academy." He winked towards Byleth, who now saw the Khatun's wrath made manifest in a bout of tickles to Claude's side. 

Sadly, the man had proven himself to be unable to be tickled before on the academy. Plenty of people had tried. Even Dimitri hadn't been able to keep a straight face under the academy students onslaught.   
Yet still, love shone in Claude's eyes, bright and pure for his mother. 

"Once at the academy, I found Byleth."   
"We had a year worth of studies and adventures." He rubbed the back of his neck. "One of the student house leaders betrayed the academy and the church which the academy was run by. It culminated in a large battle, which we ultimately ..lost." He elaborated quietly, the warm fondness of his voice fading into obscurity.

"I fell in that battle." Byleth spoke up softly. "

Upon his mother's inquisitive expression, Claude braced himself and carried on. 

"I ran the alliance not long after, my grandfather had died to the test of time." Claude rested his head on his hands. "War erupted all across Fodlan. Consuming the continent in its flames." He sighed and shifted his head so his forehead now rested on his hands.  
"Fhirdiad fell first, the Gloucesters surrendered-"

"-naturally." The Khatun groaned in sympathy.

"To make a long, sad story short and palatable after such a beautiful evening-" Claude lingered. "I was betrayed by the Gloucesters. I let my guilt get the better of me and got careless.   
I was captured, and as of today, the alliance I ran is no more." Claude looked up but his eyes focussed far away.   
"The fact that I am here right now is a miracle in its own right." He looked to his mother. "Byleth saved my hide. Then he and my entire former house helped bust me out.. all to give me another chance."

Claude remained silent for a while, allowing the sound of the hearth fire to fill the room and the light of the stars to fill his eyes. 

"Even Lorenz. Everyone banded together, risked everything, to get me a way out of there. Thinking back of it.. it felt surreal." Claude's eyes locked back onto Byleth. 

"You arriving exactly when you did. Our fight in the great hall of Derdriu's palace. Even making it past Fodlan's throat." A fragile smile played on his lips.

"It's too much coincidence not to be something else."

As the night grew old Byleth couldn't set that dinner conversation out of his head. Lying in bed his eyes stood wide awake.   
Crickets sang as he thought back to his dream, or vision, or however else he was supposed to call what he had seen. 

Sitting up, he felt the need to add to his diary. Under the light of a single candle, he held his dipped pen ready for the words to come. 

But none did. Only an ever prevalent image. So he tried committing it to paper instead. 

Which resulted in a mediocre depiction of a deer and a dragon, their eyes riveted to the skies, to him as the writer, to whatever else may come. 

With pain in his hand from drawing, he wandered his rooms until bright cymbals and horns shattered the silence of the night.   
All around him the lights were ignited, hasted footsteps rushed above and below. Curious, he left his chambers only to be told in broken Fodlani by his happy page;

"The Khan has returned! The Khan has come home!"

Cold but too curious to return to his bed or his desk, he followed his enthusiastic page to one of the many balustrades.   
Below, within the city, a series of lights progressed onwards, waking all in the surrounding neighborhoods and eliciting festivous cheers. 

On his way back to prepare, he ran into Claude head-first. The other, still in sleeping attire himself bore the most elated grin. 

"My father is here!" Claude grasped Byleth's shoulders.   
As soon as he had been grasped, Claude released him and ran on, causing Byleth's smile to remain unseen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almyran life is colorful and vibrant in my head. I love expanding on existing worlds. But designing a whole new language is a bit too much for me, haha. 
> 
> Please stay safe in these difficult times and thank you for reading! <3


	11. Part 3 - Chapter 5

The city erupted into jubilation as the Khan addressed them from his citadel. The massively broad man had both his hands firmly on the shoulders of his son, whose face was trapped in between pride and awe. It was a sight worth seeing. Byleth found himself smiling with a bittersweet sensation racing through his veins.   
Their reunion had set loose a whole new set of new emotions he had yet to put names to. 

Byleth decided it was best to give Claude the time he'd need. Meanwhile, he found himself wandering the ancient halls, wondering why Claude had left this place to begin with.  
This world was an anathema compared to Fódlan. 

Yet there had been a reason. He remembered their oath, the long walk through the desert. 

"Not everything is as it seems." He mumbled to himself as he watched the citadel's occupants pass him by.   
It wasn't long before the young page assigned to him came running, casting searching glances down the intersecting hallways. Byleth rose his hand, causing him to come to a full stop before darting off towards him. 

"Khan summons you-" He gestured. Before Byleth could react he already began trying to find other ways to translate it. Byleth just defaulted to his usual nod.   
Apparently relieved, he guided him along the hallway into a bigger one, then down to the east. Byleth had to speed up to keep up to the energetic youth.

Two massive wooden doors were drawn open by obviously battle-hardened warriors, revealing the throne room.  
A place Byleth hadn't seen yet, as it had been sealed in the Khan's absence, the Khatun having her own throne room at the end of the eastern wing.   
At the heart of the room, enshrined by veils of vivid crimson and ornately patterned yellow and green, stood a throne decorated with pelts and ivory. 

Sitting in it was the Khan, a man whose formerly black hair was now peppered with white and grey, and whose rimples and scars told tales of battles and parties of the long ago. 

"Come, enter my presence, friend of our home." The Khan stood. His tanned skin shimmered like gold under the light of the candles and chandeliers that hung overhead.   
More than intimidated, Byleth obeyed. His green eyes took in everything they could as his feet strode forward; The brilliantly shining bracers on the man's arms, the axe that stood in between his throne and the Khatun, who now proudly stood by her husband's side.  
And Claude, who came up from behind him and placed a firm hand on Byleth's shoulder, his green eyes shimmering with joy and pride. 

It was overwhelming. Every impulse and every color, the sounds, smells, and emotions. Yet Byleth felt his nascent panic sink away when his friend stood by his side.   
The air quietened, and thoughts halted.

"It is good to see you again, young one." The Khan spoke on a voice much gentler than Byleth had thought possible.   
"It gladdens this old man's heart to see that not all oaths are broken-" The man spoke with a range of conflicting emotions that filtered through his heavily accented Fódlan words.   
"-that not all sacrifice was in vain." The massive man descended the three steps to face him. Leaving Byleth to freeze up even more than before by the man's intimidating presence. 

Yet those intimidating eyes squeezed shut, and a weight seemed to fall off the man's shoulders. 

"All I can do for your ambitions is to speed you on your way." His rusted brown eyes opened again as he stepped back. 

"I will give you wings to fly, my boy." He addressed Claude, whose eyes glistened with determination and the tears of a difficult parting.   
"And you, oath keeper." The man's full attention was thrown onto Byleth, who focussed himself entirely upon not spiraling into inner panic again. 

"As a symbol of my gratitude, I will allow you to borrow my armor." He nodded before bringing a very familiar-looking grin to bear. "My boy truly is a schemer, he will fill you in." He returned to his dias before addressing Byleth once more.

"Forgive my words for being brief. I haven't spoken your tongue for a long time."   
For just a moment, Byleth spotted the smallest of glances the Khan shot to the Khatun. He was more than happy to have a brief conversation over a lengthy one and bowed according to custom, or so he dearly hoped. 

A loud thump of a wooden axehandle on the stone floor seemed to form a cue, as Claude gently pulled him along. 

  
As soon as the great wooden doors shut behind him, Byleth stopped dead and looked up to Claude, who caught onto his confused look with a humored smile. 

"That's my pa for ya. He's a bit like you unless you speak Almyran." He winked before hinting they'd keep moving. 

"Just what in creation did you concoct?" Byleth asked in hushed tones as they passed a number of other regal looking folk headed in the opposite direction.

"To take back what's ours." He looked up before looking to Byleth with a grin. "Our destiny."

"We have lingered here for long enough. I cannot sit back while Edelgard and her cronies tear my people apart, for one. And I didn't force my parents to miss years of my life in order to fail to realize my dream now." He walked ever onwards whilst Byleth kept in step. 

"..You obtained troops." Byleth concluded quietly, earning an unusually solemn nod from the usually cheery man. 

"As did you." His smile wasn't gone for long. "My dad letting you 'borrow' his armor, is an Almyran figure of speech for allowing you to borrow his troops."

Byleth stopped for a moment, the said troops now caught his eye, exercising outside, below in the courtyard.   
"Why did he specify it like that, though?" Byleth wondered, and realized his voice was not aching yet. 

"Because of my plan to take back Derdriu." Claude leaned out of the same balustrade, where his serious demeanor once again gave way to a 'proud of his scheme' smirk. "-and I just know you are going to love this." He winked. 

"I wonder.." Byleth stared at the other before grasping his own elbows. 

  
"Claude!-" Byleth called out, his voice itching but not aching yet. "What is the meaning of this?-" He wasn't used to being kept in the dark anymore, but if anything, this smelled more like a prank than distrust.   
Not that the ridiculously overcomplicated armor two pages were putting on him had anything to do with it.

The other now had stopped the 'responsible' act and was all out laughing after a failed attempt to keep it in. "More bells and more tassels!" He hooted, earning an even more irritated stare from Byleth, who was made to stand like a mannequin as the gold-colored armor was ornated with even more sashes, tassels, fluff balls and colors. 

"Perfect!" The other grinned. 

"Claude." Byleth spoke on a warning tone. After all, he was the only one in the ridiculous get-up. Claude wore a simple but well made Almyran-style armor. 

"Okay okay-" The other chuckled before sending the two pages off with a few words of Almyran. "I'll admit I didn't just put you through this for my own amusement." He still tried to fight his urge to laugh.   
"This actually serves a purpose. Namely to deceive."

"If you are trying to deceive the enemy by distraction. Perhaps." Byleth spoke with a frown etched on his lips.

"Well, yes. Kind of, but not that simple. I intend to let the enemy think you are Almyran." Claude stated.

"They can guess that without the metric tonne of fabric, bells and whatever these things are-" Byleth protested whilst shaking the tassels and other ornaments.

"True, but I also want you to be easily spottable for our own soldiers, since, let's be fair, you are very Fódlani looking."

"Really?" Byleth sighed but gave up his angry huff.

Claude just grinned. "You will be guiding the lion's share of our forces in this attack, but since no one will just up and take orders from someone from Fódlan, I needed to make you stand out so that our most seasoned warrior here can interpret your orders for the men." Claude pointed.  
"That there is Nadir the undefeatable, the one who my mom beat in a fistfight." He spoke with a grin.   
"He will keep an eye out and stick with you, as well as interpret your orders to Almyran whilst you assault Derdriu."

"Derdriu?" Byleth frowned as he let his eyes wander over the massive army encampment that had formed around the city's perimeter. "How will we ever get these people through Fódlan's locket?"

"I got a plan for that, she has pink hair and is painfully lazy." Claude righted his back. "You won't have trouble on the border." He looked to Byleth again. 

"For our destiny, our shared dream to come true, I need to ask you to do this for me. Please lead our forces through Fódlan's locket and take Derdriu." Claude spoke, his serious demeanor galvanized with hope. "Only when your forces have taken the city can we oust lord Arundel, and that's when I will come in." He gazed at the sky.

"Because while you are marching upon the city, I will take the wings my father gave me, and gather all of the alliance who will stand beside me and take the city."

As the half-Almyran finished speaking and looked to Byleth, he saw the other replay the scenario in his head, then saw the realization dawn in Byleth's eyes. 

"You want to defeat us." An estranged smile born of surprise and something else played on Byleth's lips. 

He found Claude waiting in anticipation, leaving Byleth with a conflicted heart. To distract himself from yet more unnamed emotions, he replayed the scenario in his head once again.   
"You want to avoid anyone from accusing you of having Almyran ties." He asked, but it wasn't really a question at all. 

"If it comes out it will make everything so much harder." The man admitted quietly. "It isn't something I want to have to deal with if I can avoid it."  
Byleth shook his head and went over the plan one last time. 

"It is daring, unconventional, insane.. but it is better than anything I could come up with." He finally admitted. "A lot of things can go wrong."

"I guess we will just have to figure it out as we go, then." Claude spoke with a hint of relief, yet something else clouded his eyes. 

As the pair stared into the growing dark of the night, Byleth found that same unnamed emotion returning to plague him. 

"Why didn't you tell me?"   
The words had slipped from his lips before he realized he had spoken at all. 

  
"I meant to." Claude answered quietly. "But there was always something else that came up. Old family, acquaintances wanting to get to know me better, you know the whole song and dance." He shook his head. "I was so happy just to be home again.. to see my ma and pa again." He let a silence fall, Byleth didn't break it. 

"I got scared." Claude stared dead ahead, into the now purple sky. "Scared that if I stayed any longer.."

"You wouldn't be able to leave anymore?" Byleth suggested, earning a quiet nod from Claude. 

"This- is home. Especially with you here too." Claude spoke softly. "But I have sacrificed so much for my dream." He clutched the railing with his gloved hands. "I cannot let it all be for nothing." He tore his eyes off the horizon and faced his friend. 

"So I knew what I had to do when my pa finally sat me down to talk. I cannot stay, not until my dream is realized."  
Determination clashed with longing in his green eyes. "So I asked my pa for his help, told him of what you have done- and came up with a strategy all in one evening." He held his breath as he steeled his feelings.   
"We are marching in three hours, hoping to arrive at Fódlan's locket in the early morning. Then to Derdriu by nightfall."

Feeling his heart both sting and swell at the sight of his friend's pain and determination, Byleth galvanized his own heart as well.  
Reaching out, he clasped Claude's shoulder. "I swear I will find a way to make you pay for laughing at me, but this time tomorrow we will fight the battle for Derdriu and the resurrection of the alliance." He tried for a smile and found one genuine and from the heart to rise to his call.   
"I will see you there."

"It will be a battle to be remembered." Claude drew strength and stepped back. "I will bring Nader up to speed and introduce him to you."

The light of dawn illuminated Fódlan's throat, casting it into a soft bluish pink light on their approach. The locket sat in its shadow. Slow tendrils of smoke rose up from her guard towers, where scanning lights were employed to find the enemy who would stand against her.  
Whether they saw him as friend or foe, Byleth didn't yet know.

"I wonder if he will pull it off." Nader spoke with a grizzly, rough voice in near-perfect Fódlani. "As much as I'd love to claim those smarts of his came from his Almyran blood, I am pretty sure it was his mother's side." He chuckled with a rumbling sound. 

Curious, but guarded, Byleth looked up to the man, trying to get him to elaborate. The attempt, however, was thwarted by the sharp whistle of the fore guard, most likely passed on from the scouts ahead.   
"Looks like we may finally be done waiting." the stoic but not unkind Almyran cracked his knuckles. Byleth had difficulty getting a read on him, as the man himself spoke no more than what had to be said. Not to the levels of Dedue, but still.

"Incoming party from the gates." Nader translated the fast spoken Almyran messenger for Byleth, who stood in his stirrups to see over the heads of his army.  
"Do you have a description?" He asked, to which Nader simply shook his head and shrugged.   
"Fódlani."

Yet a nascent feeling swelled inside, tugging on a part of him he was reluctant to use. 

"Pink hair" Nader translated as something was yelled from the forward ranks. It settled Byleth's mind.   
"I need to talk to them." He urged his horse forward, pushing through the men until a brilliant flurry of pink tousled hair popped out from what had to be her guard detail.

"Hilda-" Byleth rode out from the ranks. 

"Professor!" The Goneril noble smiled a moment before a scowl took over. "Do you know how long you kept us waiting? What were you doing all this time?" She huffed, but couldn't manage her smile from popping out. 

"Claude filled me in, you need to pass the locket." She dismounted and approached, causing Byleth to do the same. 

"Yes. To take Derdriu." Byleth explained but was cut off by Hilda's barely contained amusement as she took in the over-the-top glamorous armor they had donned him. 

"Don't you start too-" Byleth groaned, slipping into a familiar emotion that took him straight back to his classroom and a stab of nostalgia. 

"This has to have been Claude's doing-" She chuckled with one eye closed before giving in and cackling at his expense. 

"Is it that obvious?" Byleth asked with a smidge of sarcasm lining his voice, followed by a sigh. 

"Oh absolutely." Hilda smiled before leaning on her axe. "Well, Claude IS making me work, so I may as well have some recompense." She smiled verdantly. "My dearest, dear brother is bedridden with stomach cramps after accidentally eating a bad mushroom." She deceptively stared off into Almyran lands. "Claude is a real bringer of misfortune this time, it seems." She righted herself before falling into a more serious mood than Byleth was used of her. 

"This one time, Fódlan's locket will fail to keep her enemies at bay. You and Claude better make this count, professor." She lanced him with a stare before summoning back her smile. "You have until the lights touch upon the locket." She twirled around before getting back on her mount. 

"Hilda." Byleth addressed her as she mounted, stepping forward. "When we take Derdriu,-.. when our dreams are realized, the locket will become a gateway to something greater." Byleth struggled to find the words he needed to express himself.   
"It will be worth it. I know this isn't easy, but it is necessary to save Fódlan as a whole."

Hilda's gaze dropped and somehow changed, grew heavier as she replied. 

"It'd better be, professor."

With his stomach tied in too many knots to easily untangle, Byleth and the Almyran army entrusted to him passed through the locket, the single best-defended fortress in Fódlan, without shedding a drop of blood. The long, tall pass was framed with soldiers ready to attack at the drop of a hat. In their eyes conflict reigned, some looked disillusioned all together, whilst others managed barely to hold their rage back. The vitriol was palpable and encouraged Byleth to keep up a fast pace, rushing them to the other side of the fortress. 

"Well, it looks like the kid did it again." Nader commented as they passed under the massive iron doors sealing the other side of the fortress. "We got through the pass without losing a single drop of blood. I wonder how many favors he had to pull." The Almyran man wondered. 

"Perhaps too many." 

  
"So, how do you Fódlani typically make war?" Nader asked out of the blue. The sun stood high as the Almyran's marched, meeting nothing that could qualify as resistance. Claude's earlier orders had been imprinted into each and every Almyran soldier, causing plenty of bravado and intimidation tactics, but some highwayman aside, no civilian fatalities yet. 

Considering the awfully open question, Byleth gathered his thoughts before delving into his answer. "One commander. Field commanders, then the soldiers." He answered, still in thought.   
"Anything more specific than that depends on the battle being fought."

"How about this battle." Nader asked before sighing. "Your language is so abstract. How do you want to take Derdriu?" He restated the question. 

"I never knew there were that many Almyrans who spoke my language to begin with." Byleth answered quietly. 

"That's what you get for your isolationism." Nader shrugged. "We have one saying; 'Know your enemy.' That is why I speak your tongue, and that saying is why no Fódlani has ever beaten me." Nader spoke with a hint of pride. 

Byleth just found himself nodding quietly. "I wonder why Fódlan instituted that approach."  
Somewhat surprised, Nader actually cracked a smile. "Your church. Goddess." He shook his head. "Here I am, teaching a Fódlani about his own damned country." He spoke crudely, but his words were without venom. "And you are to get us to take Derdriu, this is going to be fun."

Byleth let the lack of faith be and instead focussed on his earlier question.   
"We have Wyverns and Cavalry." He thought aloud. "Then we can lock the city down and fight our way to its heart." He visualized what he remembered of Derdriu. "The cavalry holds the streets, and the fliers the docks. We focus on their leaders first." He looked to Nader. "A man named Arundel, he wields a thin blade." Byleth's brows knitted.   
"There is a chance of enemy reinforcements, so we need to secure the gates and the docks, save one. Then move onto their commander." He finally stated. 

Now it was Nader's turn to sink into thought. "Gates and docks, we keep a backdoor open for the kid's reinforcements, then we use the streets to corral them. Then we take out their leader." He nodded in agreement as he imagined the unfolding battle. "Then our little play." He grumbled. "Looks like you at least know the basics of razing a city."

"We are not razing anything." Byleth warned, but received no reply as the man talked over him in Almyran.

The more and more Nader explained, the more the unease rose amongst the ranks. It did not settle even after the troops had paused to eat. 

"The moral doesn't feel good." Byleth ultimately forced himself to speak up as the sun had begun to sink and Derdriu was not long no more.

"You and the boy are asking these men to lose. In case you glossed over that part of the plan. Just how motivated do you expect them to be?" Nader answered gruffly. 

"You are asking Almyran's to lose." He repeated. "Whilst they are led by their general, the undefeated Nader." The man fixed his gaze upon Byleth.  
"How do you think I feel? But my life, and thus my reputation, belongs to the Khan. I will do as he commands. But you, Fódlani, cannot demand of me to feel good doing it."

Byleth felt his head glow with conflict and worry, his heart thumping with what he believed to be a kind of shame. Instead of transfixing himself on the emotion, however, he shook himself loose. 

"If we fight like this, many Almyran's will die." He looked up to Nader, determination overcoming the shame that had rushed him when he realized just how big a sacrifice this plan would need.

"Nader, I humbly ask you for a favor before this battle." Byleth held back his horse.  
Upon the Almyran's gaze, Byleth pressed through the clenching of his chest before facing the man head-on. "I wish to speak to the men, would you please translate for me."   
The massive Almyran lifted a brow before heaving a sigh and calling an all stop. 

  
Byleth closed his eyes before more Almyran was yelled to get everyone's attention, desperately Byleth wished for a little more time to gather his thoughts, to find words that would put the fire back into the hearts of the men. Yet as a new silence dawned, and all men awaited word, Byleth felt his throat cease.

Desperate to generate any sound at all, to break through this vice grip of fear, Byleth drew at the strength within. Casting the world into purple hues as breathing stopped and the sun hung still.

"Oh, we are having stagefright now, are we?" Sothis materialized and leaned on Byleth's shoulder in favor of her throne. "Aren't you grateful now? That I have given you the power to still the hands of time, so you may better prepare your speech, of all things?" She tilted her head. 

"I don't know how I could have overseen something so crucial." Byleth turned to her, his brows knitted in conflict and stress. "This battle is asking them to throw away their pride-"

"Owh, hush now. This isn't all that dramatic." Sothis sighed. "All you need to do is to tell them the truth, honestly. How hard can that be? Your friend is the one who likes keeping secrets, not you." She huffed.   
"If you want any of this to succeed, you need to convince them that in the end, their pride will be all the bigger for it." She grinned, proud of her own plan. Wiggling her own feet she floated ahead of him. 

"Honestly that friend of yours needs to own up for this when all is said and done." She crossed her arms. "But right now, all that matters is for you to take your precious city." She smiled. 

Byleth looked to her before closing his eyes in a sigh. "I need to tell the truth." He tested her words on his lips before finding them to be true. "It is the only way I can make this work." He looked to her flowing green hair and her proud smile.   
"See? Now go and mind your voice, you don't want to be mute again." She warned. 

  
"Right now, Fódlan and Almyra stand as enemies, divided by a fortress and a range of mountains and insurmountable passes." Byleth broke through the building silence.   
"This battle is the first in a long line to shatter this barrier. The first in building a brighter future for both our nations.   
Byleth listened to Nader translating his Fódlan words to Almyran with a thundering volume. 

"I don't think this will work. Peace isn't a magic word in Almyran culture." Nader spoke after finishing his translation. The utter silence from the Almyran army compounded to that. 

"It may not be, but it is the truth." Byleth spoke as a chill ran down his spine. "One day, the truth will come out, and when it does, this battle will form the foundation to kill the hatred and fear in the hearts of Fódlan's people." Byleth spoke, feeling his heart swell. 

"One day, Fódlan's locket will become a gateway. One day, hopefully, Salisse will become one of Almyra's most prominent trading cities." He looked up to Nader. "I know the goal is distant and hard to see. But I will fight to bring down these walls that surround us, to open our eyes to the world at large and learn from her ways. Fódlan has been proud and scared for far too long." Byleth felt his chest cramp. 

"I don't know the right words to say, nor if they would ever be enough, but at the very least they deserved the truth."

Nader just shook his head. "You cannot. But I can." The man's eyes focussed far. 

"The future of two nations, ambitious little brat he has become." Nader looked down with a sigh before righting his spine and gathered his breath, releasing it in a thundering speech. One that touched the hearts of the soldiers, causing them to rile up and yell in agreement as Nader finished speaking, holding his axe high. 

"What did you tell them?"

"The truth, with some added flair." Nader looked to him in between yelling formation orders. "I promised them we will never let the Fódlan forget our sacrifice here today. For a better future." The man's weathered face pulled into a minute grin. 

Byleth etched that promise in his head. 

"These-" Byleth raised his head up to see his team of commanders, Nader included, staring at him like he was only slightly mad. "- are Derdriu's five gates. We, however, are only going to hold four of them." Byleth tapped on four of the five symbolic rocks he had placed in the mulled dirt. Nader fell in behind him, pointing whilst presumably translating him.

Byleth forced the stiffness that had accumulated from a day in the saddle out of his limbs as he drew his stick in the sand and kicked a branch away from what was meant to be the harbor. 

"Our wyverns will patrol the harbor, make sure no one enters or leaves." Byleth eyed the Almyran general before continuing. "The cavalry and infantry will press on through the streets to this point." Byleth dropped a rock in the middle of a crudely drawn square. 

"We do have maps, you know?" Nader asked with a tilted head. 

"Maps aren't for drawing strategy on." Byleth spoke curtly, the doubt coming only after he had spoken. There had been strict rules about drawing on the provided maps in the monastery.

"When we have taken the center square, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will rush the palace and kill their leader." Byleth concluded.

"Wasn't it the idea to let the kid kill that one?" Nader asked with a frown.

"It was," Byleth inhaled deeply before eyeing Nader. "But this is my command." He eyed the distant city. "As I see it, If we let him slip away, it will haunt us worse than if he dies by Almyran hand. Claude regaining the alliance needs to be swift and decisive if we want to avoid getting ousted by the Adrestian empire."

Nader silently nodded in agreement. "Let's do this."

  
Derdriu, the aquatic capitol bade farewell to the sun as she sank beneath the horizon. As her last rays died out, the horns were blown. As if commandeered by the spirit of war, his horse charged forward with the forward ranks of the Almyran army.   
The horses swallowed the ground under them as the battle unleashed. The alarm was blown from all sides of Derdriu's walls, and fires were lit.

Men scrambled to the gates and raised the draw bridges that secured the city. Precise fire arrows shot the ropes, burning them and causing the wooden bridges to come crashing down. 

The horribly off-guard military of Derdriu rushed to lower the portcullis, only to be met with a horde of arrows falling down. 

Byleth saw it all and raced his horse to Nader's side. "Get them through the open gates, blasting through the others will take too much time."  
One loud roar of Nader later the infantry and cavalry were pouring through the gates. 

"They weren't expecting us at all-" Nader concluded with a grin. "This will be fun."

"Have the men push through the streets as fast as they can, before our enemy can lock us in Derdriu's narrow alleys." Byleth scanned the battlefield, hearing and seeing terrified citizens fleeing for their homes.   
Nader yelled again, then pushed his horse into a jumpy canter through the main street. Byleth wasn't far behind.

  
"Be careful, we don't want to get bitten in our behind." Nader held in his horse as he and Byleth were nearing the main square. 

Byleth needed two seconds to figure out what he meant before focussing internally and gaining sight of the city proper. 

"They are being held up by our eastern flank-" Byleth struggled for words trying to explain what he meant. "They aren't circling us yet."

"No wonder the kid likes you so much." Nader mumbled just loud enough to hear. Not quite knowing what to make of that, Byleth just pressed on. "I expect the resistance will grow the more we encroach the palace."

  
After passing their third canal, Byleth was forced to a standstill. "The forward troops have engaged-" Byleth frowned. "They are fighting heavy infantry-and there is a battalion of mages incoming from the palace." He looked up to Nader, who frowned. 

"Fall back into the streets." Byleth spoke on a more decisive tone. "But not far enough to let them go. Have any archers we have with us shoot ahead of us, as far as they can to buy our front line soldiers some reprieve."

One by one, the Almyran soldiers under Byleth's command fell to the lethal spells that raced across the battlefield. The stink of burnt flesh and dark magic suffused the night sky. 

"Word is that something funny is happening on the square." Nader relayed whilst tearing his axe through one of the pushing infantry. Byleth whirled around, pulling his sword out of the chest of a knight before poising himself for a finishing jab in the crook of his chest armor.   
"Define funny." Byleth panted as he eyed an incoming blast of magic and stepped sideways. 

"Bad."

"Right." The time when funny was something good lay long behind him now. "Help me get to the front." He broke into a jog, priming the sword of the creator for use.   
Nader sliced his way through a horse and rider with ease before catching up. 

The square stood dark, save for the torches of the empire's soldiers. Deflecting a double blast of magic with his sword, Byleth felt a tremor in the earth. 

"Not good." Nader commented as he razed his axe through a grimoire toting mage.

Suddenly the earth heaved and shuddered, throwing everyone off their feet. Scrambling to get back up, Byleth felt - no - heard the cracking of houses and the distant screams as virulently strong magic ripped through everything dead and alive. 

From the split earth, two massive metal.. dolls.. had risen. Their bodies were aglow with blue spheres. They stood so tall only their feet and legs were visible, the rest of them obscured by the darkness of the night.  
A stream of alarming curses in Almyran erupted from next to him as one of the two dolls rose it's massive feet up and took a step in their direction. 

"Everyone fall back! Into the alleyways!" Byleth yelled. 

Understood or not, many Almyran's edged backward until Nader's bouldering yell forced everyone into a run. Byleth found his feet and ran back into the main street and then into the nearest alleyway by the time the doll closed in. 

"With that size, it shouldn't be able to get us from here." Byleth reasoned aloud as his mind began running a hundred miles an hour. "But it will probably break the buildings-" He realized and looked up to Nader. Swiveling around he near fell because of the shuddering thud with which these dolls shook the earth.   
"They are slow- if we keep moving we can buy the time we need to figure out a strategy." Nader suggested, earning a quick nod from Byleth. 

  
"We aren't taking these things down the old way." Nader frowned as he saw one of his finest wyvern riders impaled by a shard of unnatural light before falling from the sky.  
"Damn you Fódlani bastards with your magics." He cursed, in Fódlani this time, whilst eyeing Byleth. 

"Any idea's as to how we kill this?"

"These things aren't built by Fódlan hands." Byleth spoke, not knowing why he felt this to be so certain. 

"It doesn't matter. We need a way to kill these things." Nader spat for all but the last word. "What in creation is he thinking-" 

Frowning, Byleth looked up from his strategizing to find one figure running towards one of the monstrosities under the pale moonlight. A guttural cry of anger and courage echoed in between the buildings, growing ever stronger. Then the figure rose his arm and with all his power, threw the punch of a lifetime.

Something began to itch in Byleth's head whilst he watched enraptured by the display. As the fighter danced aside, avoiding the metal dolls retaliation, he struck again, shattering some of the otherworldly glow that had covered its metal legs. 

"Raphael?.." Byleth realized with cold shock as his mind's eye opened and showed him the man.   
"That is-" Byleth felt his rapture turn into alarm, and set out onto a run towards him.   
"Raphael!" He yelled, reaching out with his mind at the same time. 

"Professor?!" The man smiled broadly and entirely distracted. "You're back! I saw these giant things pop up from the ground and-"  
"-later!" Byleth yelled and gestured to the giant, who was readying itself to attack.

"Wait-" Nader frowned and tensed his grip on his axe. "Something broke-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as a burst of magic soared overhead, ramming itself into the metal doll and throwing it off its feet. 

"What are you all waiting for, now!" In the alleyway behind them stood the caster, still panting of the effort it had taken. 

"Lysithea-" Byleth felt his chest cramp before shutting down his line of thought, turning around and brandishing his sword. "Attack!"  
The air in his lungs burned as he extended the blade and struggled to whip it into its full arch. Bone struck metal with a magical edge, tearing into it.   
Raphael wasn't far behind and neither was Nader, axes and gauntlets tearing into the thing before it would get a chance to get up. 

As it struggled and strained, the sounds of groaning metal and the stink of more arcane magic filled the air around him. It was damaged, but not finished yet. 

"Lysithea-" He asked reached for her with his crest's power.  
"I got this, professor!"

By the time Byleth felt himself go dizzy and near nauseous of the stink he saw what looked to be thunder from the corner of his eye, across the square. 

Taking the chance to look, he saw the other giant, occupied with another party on the far side of the square. Yet before he could find the concentration to formulate another strategy, another bolt of magic rammed itself into the monstrosities side, making Byleth run for his life. 

With a thundering drone, the giant fell to the ground, throwing up pavers left and right. One of which landed itself square in Byleth's stomach, taking the wind out of him. 

Whilst he gasped and sunk to his knees, cradling his stomach, Nader hewed his axe firmly into the monstrosity's head, unleashing an otherworldly blast of magic from it, which then dissipated in the night sky.

Panting hard, Byleth saw his former classmates arrive.   
"Professor-" Lysithea held a worried look. 

"Are you okay?" Raphael stood beside him, laying a hand on his shoulder. Byleth couldn't do anything other than nod. 

"The others-?" He looked up to the pair. 

"We are all here, Claude made sure of that." She almost huffed. "They are fighting the other giant I think."

Byleth nodded again, then realized and wondered. "How did you know to find me?"

"That's Claude's work." Raphael chuckled. "He told us to look for a shiny Almyran general." 

Byleth grimaced as the worst of the pain finally left him. "I will have my revanche." He muttered, then breathed in as deep as he dared before centering himself and observing the other fight through his mind's eye."

  
"We have to help them." He concluded, but then had his concentration broken as an axehandle hit the ground. 

"They have their job, we have ours." Nader advised. "If we help them, we may let the main objective slip away."

Conflicted, Byleth gazed across the darkened square before reaching a final conclusion. 

"We have a long road ahead. We cannot start losing people in what will only be our first battle." 

On foot, the square was massive, yet as they approached Byleth felt and saw his former class locked in dire combat with the giant.

Hilda was present, bearing a massive relic axe and brandishing it with the vigor he knew she had in her, hewing at the things shins. 

Ignatz stood a distance away, alternating in between magic to stun the thing and arrows to impale it. The so timid kid who he had met in the first month of his year of teaching had now truly grown into himself, bolstering his confidence and finesse.

Leoni ran a cavalry charge aside Lorenz, both now fully-fledged and experienced knights.

Even Marianne was there, the ever timid girl who had grown so much during his year in Garreg Mach. Now she healed her classmates and Almyrans alike, without distinction. 

Paired with Lysithea and Raphael, his entire class was complete.  
Save one.

  
With a thundering crash, the second of the giants was torn down, the magic that powered it slipped free and rendered it's chassis lifeless. 

"To the palace." Byleth instructed both Nader and his classmates. 

"Magic incoming!" Ignatz warned as he loaded an arrow on his longbow.   
"They aren't going down without a fight." Nader grinned as he ran ahead of all of them. 

"All ranged fighters give cover." Byleth instructed, casting a winded glance around the battlefield. "Today the alliance will be reborn!" He grit his teeth together and tried to calm the trembling of his grip by drawing on the well of strength within. 

  
The palace loomed over them, clothed in darkness as not a single window was lit. The lifelessness of it unnerved Byleth as he approached.   
"Hold here, form a perimeter, I don't trust this." He held out an arm. 

"This is our chance." Nader frowned. 

"Look, if they can somehow use those giant metal dolls to fight us off, try imagining what else they can do." Leonie reigned in her mount. 

"We need to be certain of our next step before we take it." Lorenz bore a faint smile as he flanked Byleth to his right. 

"All the more because my sight of the interior is being blocked." Byleth eyed his old classmates and felt his stone-of-a-heart surge. He shook his head to remain in the present. 

"Lorenz, Leonie, keep the perimeter. Nader, have some of the men remain with them to ensure no one leaves the palace."  
Nader barked the orders whilst Lorenz and Leonie discussed who took which side to guard.   
"I will lead the vanguard with my former students." He informed Nader. "Please secure the mansion in our wake." Byleth paused before eyeing the man directly.   
"If you see Lord Arundel, do not hesitate, but be careful."

"Got it." The Almyran nodded.

"So, we are the vanguard then?" Hilda held a sweet smile. "You really are making us catch up for slacking for five years, Professor."

"Hilda." Marianne gave an admonishing look. "We are so happy you have returned, professor." She smiled softly. A display so rare it stilled Byleth's maelstrom of a mind for a moment. 

"I am glad to see you all." He answered from his heart. 

"Let us finish this, so we can all catch up properly," Ignatz suggested with a smile. 

The mansion stank of magic so foul Byleth put one of the many sashes Claude had ornated him with to use. His mind's eye dulled, he uneasily fell back to the technique's taught to him by his father.   
However, many rooms they passed were completely empty. Furniture was thrown over and drinks were spilled.   
On a hunch, Byleth led them through the torn-up hallways to where he had almost faced summary execution just weeks earlier. 

The grand hall. It stood desolated but for one man. It's expensive carpets thrown over and it's many tables and chairs upturned. 

"Ah, how fitting for us to reunite here." The voice belonging to the man spoke from the almost absolute darkness. Only a low hum of light, coming from Lysithea and Marianne shed just enough light into the room for them to make the man out from the darkness.

Byleth kept his lips sealed and refixed his grip on the sword of the creator, the sword however also seemed to draw his opponent's attention.  
For the briefest of moments only, Byleth felt the man's gaze lift from him, only to stifle him the next. 

However, just as Byleth ducked to begin his charge, the sound of a window breaking on the far side of the room drew the attention of both of them, followed by a blinding red flash.

In the blink of an eye, a bright light enveloped Lord Arundel, only a split second before an arrow pierced through the air where he had stood, then zipped within a centimeter of Byleth's cheek before burrowing itself in what looked to be a painting.

With his stone-of-a-heart in his throat, Byleth reared his head, only to find Claude, half inside the far windowsill, bearing failnaught.

"Claude!" Hilda scolded with a volume that startled everyone, including the half-Almyran, who almost tumbled out of the windowsill he was on. 

Instead, a big wyvern's head pushed him inside, near-landing him on his face.   
"You almost shot the professor!" Raphael pulled the bone-head arrow out of the painting.   
"And that was a priceless piece of art..." Ignatz deflated.

"He is gone?" Claude looked to Byleth instead, who gave a nod. "Sorry about that, I didn't figure he was a mage as well as a sword fighter." He scratched the back of his head as he approached. "Did I nick you?"

"Almost. But I am fine." Byleth, now recovering from the adrenaline met his gaze. "We have secured the city. All that is left is for you to 'defeat' me." Byleth rubbed his forehead. "Then to take back what is yours."

Claude let out a tired sigh. "Right. Well, we don't need to make this more complicated than it has to be." 

  
"So, I need you all to pretend." Claude scratched the back of his neck again. "For the sake of the Alliance and for Fódlan as a whole. No one can know." He eyed Lorenz the longest. 

"For all you know, an Almyran commander was defeated here, after heroically saving Derdriu's population from two giant metal monstrosities, then the Almyran's returned home." He stilled his ever-restless white wyvern as he eyed his classmates.

"My brother still lies ill." Hilda spoke more curt than usual. "So passage will be granted, this time." She smiled her sweet smile. The price, Byleth figured, Claude would have to pay sooner than later.

  
Byleth, who felt drained and exhausted just sat down against the foot of the palace, rubbing his eyes and massaging his sore muscles. 

"You didn't do half bad for a Fódlani kid." Nader, now wearing the Khan's armor with far more splendor than Byleth ever could, shot him a grin. "Don't let the kid work you to the bone. Remember, if you don't take care of yourself first, you cannot take care of others." He patted Byleth's shoulder.   
"Good luck."

Slowly Byleth nodded in reply, then watched the Warmaster gather his people in preparation to ride out.

  
"We did it.." Claude's voice startled Byleth awake. Groggy he gazed ahead, finding a fire had been made to keep him warm. Sunrise wasn't far off.

"We did." Byleth replied with a dry throat and a hushed voice. Reaching to his side, he took out a flask and drowned it, then wiped his lips with the hem of his undershirt. 

Feet slipped beside him as Claude settled down beside him, exhaustion written on his face. 

"Thanks to you, we got a good start on this difficult journey." Claude took a sip from his own water sack whilst absorbing the fire's warmth. 

"Hilda and Lysithea are overseeing Derdriu's defenses, Marianne is going to take over with Lorenz when dawn breaks."   
Byleth, who felt his eyes droop, placed a hand on Claude's shoulder.   
"The road is long yet. Get some sleep while you can." He looked up to find the last of the stars fighting the light of the oncoming sun. 

  
**Derdriu, Fódlan 1155**   
**19th of the Guardian Moon**

_Derdriu has fallen, liberated from its conquerors, from the empire. _   
_The alliance has risen from its ashes. Now to rid it of the empire's remains._

_Derdriu awoke to a new leader, or should I say an old one? Nevertheless, the streets are filled with revelry at the time of writing. We have been residing in the old palace as of this afternoon after Lysithea had rounded up a cadre of mages and ensured no remnants or nasty magical surprises awaited us. The gates have been firmly secured and are kept shut for the time being until the city is pronounced clear of imperial influences. Raphael, however, informed me that due to the jubilant mood the searches are progressing quickly, for as long as he does not get distracted by the festive dishes being cooked. _

_The journey to get here has been intense, and something I will not fully detail here, but ultimately worth the price paid. Even if not everything went according to Claude's plan. _   
_If the winds favor us, we will stand united again soon._

  
Byleth lifted his quill as the evening set in. In the distance, muffled behind thick stone walls, he heard the revelry belonging to the rebirth of the Alliance. Weary as he felt, a small smile tugged at his lips when he stood. Carefully he took his diary and writing equipment and placed them back in his bag. Stiffly he shouldered the door of his room open, stepping into the hallway. 

A few doors later he stopped briefly, casting a glance outside, catching the guiding star. 

Grateful he wandered on, passing from one hallway into the next, then under a set of massive archways into the great hall, where a waft of spices and well-cooked food greeted him. The damages did not diminish the splendor of the place, especially now it was once again fully lit. It breathed a different atmosphere as compared to when he had stood in its center, awaiting his death sentence. 

Low hanging lanterns of ornate design gave off a warm light. Incense now mingled with the smell of good food, enticing him to set foot inside. 

Navigating the people, however, was a challenge. It seemed all of Derdriu had come to congratulate the young Alliance leader on his victory. 

Byleth finally spotted him when he had passed through half of the packed place, finding him on a small raised platform, sitting on its edge, on a wealth of pillows. Behind him hung a big, roughly mended tapestry of the crest of the Leicester Alliance.

Quick as an eagle Claude spotted him and rose a hand, beckoning him over. Reluctant to engage in lengthy conversation, yet hungry, he pressed on and found a seat on a luxurious looking purple pillow. He let himself drop down to sit cross-legged before he saw a host of mugs raised in his face. 

"To our most capable professor." Lorenz smiled amicably. Byleth found himself face to face with his old class, which set off a flutter in his stone-of-a-heart. 

"Please-" He began but got no chance to finish. 

"Nope, you don't get to dispute this teach." Claude winked and twitched his head, signaling for him to hurry up and join. 

Letting out a sigh, Byleth found a smile welling up from inside and raised his mug as well, to which a hearty toast was brought. 

  
"Isn't it something? This city?" Sothis's voice pierced through the thin veil of sleep that had surrounded Byleth. After a long evening of tale-telling and drinking, most people had fallen asleep in the great hall. Claude was no exception, so Byleth saw when he saw the Alliance leader next to him, dozing on his side.

"It is." Byleth answered sleepily, yet deeply content. Still to freshly awake for the worries of the day to have sunk in.   
"Thank you, for helping me, Sothis."

The green-haired goddess smirked and gave him a wink. "If you take me to see pretty places like this, then maybe we shall call it even. One day." She grinned. 

"Considering the size of Claude's ambitions." Byleth mused with a smile as he sat up.   
"You will probably get to see all of Fódlan."

  
The purple hue lifted as his grip on time faded. With it did the serene peace, as several roaring snorers made a swift end to that. 

Feeling a prickly feeling dawn just behind his eyes, he rubbed his forehead before thinking back to the chaos that was the previous day.

Still sore and aching left and right, he pried himself out of his comfortable seat and up onto his complaining legs.

Four hours later, the bells of the eastern church's cathedral of peace resounded across all of Derdriu with unprecedented pride.   
As sore as Byleth felt, he was happy to see the head-priest stand proudly before the mostly-intact building, praising the goddess and lady Seiros for the alliance's rebirth.

"It is good to see the alliance free again. Don't you think so, professor?" Lorenz sat down beside Byleth, who had found a spot to watch the open-air sermon from a distance.

"I don't get why Edelgard of all people despises the church so." Byleth shook his head. "That has been bothering me since-" He closed his eyes, biting down his mind's reflex to summon back the images of that battle.

"I know. I have looked into it, but she keeps her secrets quite secret, I am afraid." Lorenz frowned. 

Byleth stared to the pavement for the length of a prayer, before looking up to Lorenz once again.   
"Back when we fled Derdriu, I detected some tension between Claude and you." He spoke carefully.

"That- ah, yes." Lorenz's face folded into a frown. "That is my father's fault-..." he hesitated. "-as well as my own." He sighed.

Lorenz gazed ahead, to the jubilant masses. "My father strongly opposed the Riegans for a long time." He saw Lorenz choose his words with care. "For a time, I let myself be- misguided by him." 

The admission didn't come easy to him, but Lorenz didn't stop. 

"During your absence, I found myself being swayed by my fathers words again. Especially with the then mounting tensions between the Alliance and the Empire.

  
"My father saw a chance to attain power, and used us both." Lorenz frowned. "I was a fool, professor, do not mistake my words." Determination began to dawn in his eyes. "But it was my father who deceived us both. With what I told my father of my time at the academy, and with Fhirdiad falling, he had all the ammunition he needed to lure Claude into his trap." The noble folded his hands.

"My father had fabricated some folly and masked it to be the truth, causing me to lose my temper and pursue him-" The indignation on Lorenz's face changed to remorse.  
"My insisting to talk to Claude, nearly became his undoing, and is the reason for the animosity you saw, professor."   
  
Byleth frowned. "That was a well-concocted scheme." He looked at Lorenz, who nodded. 

"My father excelled in those." Lorenz smiled, but it was devoid of joy.

"He died by my hand but a month after his deceit." A hardness came over his face as he steeled himself. "As befits a noble who uses his station to topple his liege."

Upon seeing Byleth's alarmed expression, Lorenz's mask fell and revealed something else altogether.  
"He was assisting the empire in tracing the escape of Claude to our former class-members." He spoke conflicted. "Had the empire learned, not even those of us with noble houses to back us, would have been safe."

"You protected everyone?" Byleth asked, but it wasn't a true question. "During our absence, you killed your father to keep everyone safe?" Byleth felt a surge of, something, heat the stone that was his heart.

"That is one way to-"

Byleth cut him off as he stood up.   
"I will tell Claude, we will resolve this conflict between you two."

"Professor I,-... thank you. I would appreciate your mediation." The now long-haired knight offered him a sincere smile that only galvanized Byleth's intent.

  


"Sky above and earth below..." Claude sunk back into his chair.

"We cannot leave this place as a house that is divided," Byleth spoke softly. The urge to tell Claude what to do and why was difficult to resist, but Byleth bit his lip to keep from erring. 

"No, you are right." Claude sighed and threw his weight forward, leaning with both arms on the table before letting his forehead rest on his arms, too.   
"To kill your own father."

"His father broke the code of nobility in seeking to hand you over to the empire. It's treason." Byleth spoke quietly. "If it hadn't been for his actions, as harsh as they were, our conquest of Derdriu would have failed. Our former classmates would have been executed, and we would never have escaped our deaths." He met Claude's gaze as the other righted himself up.

Slowly, Claude nodded before finding a somber smile. "Don't worry, I'll set things right." He inhaled deeply and yawned, then fell back into his easy smile.   
"If anything, this proves to me that I will need all of us to pull off the rest of my plan." 

"Is there ever a time where your mind is not crafting up schemes?" Byleth asked with a smile of his own now. 

"Nope, trust me I am terrible at sitting still." He grinned. "Especially in times where I just got word from house Daphnell that the last three remaining houses from Faerghus are on their last legs."

Byleth's eyes dilated. 

"It's going to be cold, so be sure to pack a good coat." Claude grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the ending of the third part/arc! I hope you enjoyed the story so far.  
Writing the battle for Derdriu was a headache and a half, I redid it a ton of times before I was finally satisfied. Claude is a darling to write, and Nader was a challenge to say the least. 
> 
> The alliance is back in business!
> 
> Thank you all for sticking with me! Stay safe in these trying times and good fortune to you all! <3

**Author's Note:**

> **Fear the deer!**


End file.
